Nominations to the Amtrak Reform Board, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, and the Department of Transportation
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
S. HRG. 109–1126 NOMINATIONS TO THE AMTRAK REFORM BOARD, FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION JUNE 8, 2006 Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation ( U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 65–181 PDF WASHINGTON : 2011 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate Nov 24 2008 13:39 Mar 17, 2011 Jkt 065181 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 S:\GPO\DOCS\65181.TXT SCOM1 PsN: JACKIE SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION TED STEVENS, Alaska, Chairman JOHN MCCAIN, Arizona DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii, Co-Chairman CONRAD BURNS, Montana JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West Virginia TRENT LOTT, Mississippi JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas BYRON L. DORGAN, North Dakota OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, Maine BARBARA BOXER, California GORDON H. SMITH, Oregon BILL NELSON, Florida JOHN ENSIGN, Nevada MARIA CANTWELL, Washington GEORGE ALLEN, Virginia FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey JOHN E. SUNUNU, New Hampshire E. BENJAMIN NELSON, Nebraska JIM DEMINT, South Carolina MARK PRYOR, Arkansas DAVID VITTER, Louisiana LISA J. SUTHERLAND, Republican Staff Director CHRISTINE DRAGER KURTH, Republican Deputy Staff Director KENNETH R. NAHIGIAN, Republican Chief Counsel MARGARET L. CUMMISKY, Democratic Staff Director and Chief Counsel SAMUEL E. WHITEHORN, Democratic Deputy Staff Director and General Counsel LILA HARPER HELMS, Democratic Policy Director (II) VerDate Nov 24 2008 13:39 Mar 17, 2011 Jkt 065181 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\GPO\DOCS\65181.TXT SCOM1 PsN: JACKIE C O N T E N T S Page Hearing held on June 8, 2006 ................................................................................. 1 Statement of Senator Inouye .................................................................................. 6 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 6 Statement of Senator Lautenberg .......................................................................... 6 Statement of Senator Stevens ................................................................................ 1 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 1 WITNESSES Biden, R. Hunter, Nominee to be a Member of the Amtrak Reform Board ........ 7 Biographical information ................................................................................. 8 Carper, Hon. Thomas R., U.S. Senator from Delaware ........................................ 2 Hill, John H., Nominee to be Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Department of Transportation ..................................... 16 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 17 Issa, Hon. Darrell E., U.S. Representative from California ................................. 3 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 5 McLean, Donna R., Nominee to be a Member of the Amtrak Reform Board ..... 12 Biographical information ................................................................................. 12 Rosenker, Mark V., Nominee to be Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board ......................................................................................................... 20 Biographical information ................................................................................. 21 Steinberg, Andrew B., Nominee to be Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Aviation and International Affairs ............................................................... 24 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 25 Biographical information ................................................................................. 26 APPENDIX Allen, Hon. George, U.S. Senator from Virginia, prepared statement ................ 41 Ephraimson-Abt, Hans, Spokesman, Air Crash Victims Families Group, pre- pared statement ................................................................................................... 45 Lugar, Richard G., U.S. Senator from Indiana, prepared statement .................. 41 Scardelletti, Robert A., International President, Transportation Communica- tions International Union, prepared statement ................................................. 42 Response to written questions submitted by Hon. Daniel K. Inouye to: R. Hunter Biden ............................................................................................... 58 John H. Hill ...................................................................................................... 48 Donna R. McLean ............................................................................................. 46 Mark V. Rosenker ............................................................................................. 59 Andrew B. Steinberg ........................................................................................ 54 Response to written questions submitted by Hon. Frank R. Lautenberg to: John H. Hill ...................................................................................................... 56 Donna R. McLean ............................................................................................. 56 Andrew B. Steinberg ........................................................................................ 57 (III) VerDate Nov 24 2008 13:39 Mar 17, 2011 Jkt 065181 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\GPO\DOCS\65181.TXT SCOM1 PsN: JACKIE VerDate Nov 24 2008 13:39 Mar 17, 2011 Jkt 065181 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\GPO\DOCS\65181.TXT SCOM1 PsN: JACKIE NOMINATIONS TO THE AMTRAK REFORM BOARD, FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2006 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION, Washington, DC. The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:30 p.m. in room SD–562, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Ted Stevens, Chairman of the Committee, presiding. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. TED STEVENS, U.S. SENATOR FROM ALASKA The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, we’re sorry for the votes that have interrupted our schedule and appreciate your waiting. Now, we’re going to hear from five of the present nominees for various trans- portation positions. We welcome you, the first we’ll hear from will be Senator Carper to introduce Mr. Biden for the Amtrak Board. [The prepared statement of Senator Stevens follows:] PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. TED STEVENS, U.S. SENATOR FROM ALASKA This afternoon the Committee will hear from five of the President’s nominees for various transportation positions. The Committee welcomes each of you. Hunter Biden and Donna McLean have been nominated for the Amtrak Reform Board, and would serve for 5 years if confirmed. Amtrak is a controversial topic of discussion for this Committee, and I look forward to hearing what fresh ideas each of you will bring to the Board. Senator Carper will introduce Mr. Biden, and Sen- ator Lugar has requested that a statement in support of Ms. McLean be placed in the record. John Hill has been nominated to be Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The FMCSA’s principal mission is to reduce the number of crashes, injuries and fatalities involving large trucks and buses. Senator Lugar also has submitted a statement for the record in support of Mr. Hill. Mark Rosenker, who has been with the National Transportation Safety Board for 3 years, has been nominated to be Chairman of the NTSB. Mr. Rosenker has been the Acting Chairman since March 2005 and a Member of the NTSB since 2003. The work of the NTSB has been especially significant to Alaska. My state lies under 20 percent of the airspace in the U.S. system, contains over 20,000 pilots, and nearly 10,000 registered aircraft. Because of the sheer number of aircraft and the weather challenges, Alaska has experienced twice as many accidents than the Lower 48. The role of the NTSB is crucial to improving our safety rate. The Com- mittee welcomes Congressman Issa this afternoon, who will introduce Mr. Rosenker. Senator Allen has requested that a statement in support of Mr. Rosenker be in- cluded in the record. (1) VerDate Nov 24 2008 13:39 Mar 17, 2011 Jkt 065181 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6621 S:\GPO\DOCS\65181.TXT SCOM1 PsN: JACKIE 2 Andrew Steinberg has been nominated to be Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs within the Department of Transportation. If confirmed, Mr. Steinberg would be responsible for the development, articulation, and review of poli- cies for economic issues in domestic and international transportation. I have been notified that many of the nominees have family in attendance today, and I hope the nominees will take a moment to introduce their respective family members to the Committee when they come to the table. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. THOMAS R. CARPER, U.S. SENATOR FROM DELAWARE Senator CARPER. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman