S. HRG. 111–334 NOMINATIONS TO NASA, THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD, THE FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION JULY 8, 2009 Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation ( U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 54–285 PDF WASHINGTON : 2010 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 09:28 Apr 05, 2010 Jkt 054285 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 S:\WPSHR\GPO\DOCS\54285.TXT SCOM1 PsN: JACKIE SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West Virginia, Chairman DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas, Ranking JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, Maine BYRON L. DORGAN, North Dakota JOHN ENSIGN, Nevada BARBARA BOXER, California JIM DEMINT, South Carolina BILL NELSON, Florida JOHN THUNE, South Dakota MARIA CANTWELL, Washington ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey JOHNNY ISAKSON, Georgia MARK PRYOR, Arkansas DAVID VITTER, Louisiana CLAIRE MCCASKILL, Missouri SAM BROWNBACK, Kansas AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota MEL MARTINEZ, Florida TOM UDALL, New Mexico MIKE JOHANNS, Nebraska MARK WARNER, Virginia MARK BEGICH, Alaska ELLEN L. DONESKI, Chief of Staff JAMES REID, Deputy Chief of Staff Bruce H. Andrews, General Counsel CHRISTINE D. KURTH, Republican Staff Director and General Counsel BRIAN M. HENDRICKS, Republican Chief Counsel (II) VerDate Nov 24 2008 09:28 Apr 05, 2010 Jkt 054285 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\WPSHR\GPO\DOCS\54285.TXT SCOM1 PsN: JACKIE C O N T E N T S Page Hearing held on July 8, 2009 ................................................................................. 1 Statement of Senator Rockefeller ........................................................................... 1 Statement of Senator DeMint ................................................................................. 6 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 6 Statement of Senator Hutchison ............................................................................ 8 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 9 Statement of Senator Nelson .................................................................................. 10 Statement of Senator Udall .................................................................................... 49 Statement of Senator Lautenberg .......................................................................... 78 WITNESSES Hon. Barbara A. Mikulski, U.S. Senator from Maryland ..................................... 2 Hon. Charles E. Schumer, U.S. Senator from New York ..................................... 3 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 4 Hon. Lindsey Graham, U.S. Senator from South Carolina .................................. 5 Hon. Edward G. Rendell, Governor of Pennsylvania ............................................ 6 Hon. James E. Clyburn, U.S. Representative from South Carolina .................... 12 Hon. Sheila Jackson Lee, U.S. Representative from Texas ................................. 12 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 14 General Charles F. Bolden, Jr., Administrator-Designate, NASA ...................... 17 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 19 Biographical information ................................................................................. 21 Lori B. Garver, Deputy Administrator-Designate, NASA .................................... 32 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 33 Biographical information ................................................................................. 35 Hon. Deborah A.P. Hersman, Chairman-Designate, National Transportation Safety Board ......................................................................................................... 50 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 52 Biographical information ................................................................................. 53 Richard A. Lidinsky, Jr., Commissioner-Designate, Federal Maritime Com- mission .................................................................................................................. 59 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 61 Biographical information ................................................................................. 61 Polly Trottenberg, Assistant Secretary-Designate, United States Department of Transportation ................................................................................................. 67 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 68 Biographical information ................................................................................. 69 APPENDIX Statement of Hon. John D. Rockefeller IV ............................................................ 83 Letter, dated June 30, 2009 to Hon. John D. Rockefeller IV, Chairman, Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee from Vivian S. Chu, Legislative Attorney—Congressional Research Service ...................... 89 Hon. Barbara Boxer, U.S. Senator from California, prepared statement ........... 91 Letter, dated July 6, 2009 to Hon. John D. Rockefeller IV from Alan Korn, Executive Director—Safe Kids USA ................................................................... 91 Letter, dated June 16, 2009 to Hon. John D. Rockefeller IV and Hon. Kay Bailey Hutchison from Jim Bell, President and Louis Friedman, Executive Director—The Planetay Society .......................................................................... 92 Letter, dated July 7, 2009 to Hon. John Rockefeller and Hon. Kay Bailey Hutchison from Jill Ingrassia, Managing Director—Government Relations and Traffic Safety Advocacy; AAA ...................................................................... 93 (III) VerDate Nov 24 2008 09:28 Apr 05, 2010 Jkt 054285 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\WPSHR\GPO\DOCS\54285.TXT SCOM1 PsN: JACKIE IV Page Letter, dated June 12, 2009 to Hon. John D. Rockefeller IV from John Horsley, Executive Director—American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials ....................................................................................... 94 Letter, dated June 10, 2009 to Hon. John D. Rockefeller IV from Edward P. Faberman, Executive Director—Air Carrier Association of America .......... 94 Letter, dated July 7, 2009 to Hon. Jay Rockefeller and Hon. Kay Bailey Hutchison from D. Wayne Klotz, P.E., D.WRE, President—American Soci- ety of Civil Engineers .......................................................................................... 95 Response to written questions submitted by Hon. Kay Bailey Hutchison to Richard Lidinsky .................................................................................................. 95 Response to written questions submitted to Polly Trottenberg by: Hon. John D. Rockefeller IV ............................................................................ 96 Hon. Tom Udall ................................................................................................ 97 Hon. Kay Bailey Hutchison ............................................................................. 99 Hon. John Thune .............................................................................................. 100 Response to written questions submitted to Hon. Deborah A.P. Hersman by: Hon. John D. Rockefeller IV ............................................................................ 100 Hon. Mark Warner ........................................................................................... 103 Hon. Tom Udall ................................................................................................ 104 Hon. Kay Bailey Hutchison ............................................................................. 105 Hon. John Thune .............................................................................................. 106 Response to written questions submitted to General Charles F. Bolden, Jr. and Lori B. Garver by: Hon. John D. Rockefeller IV ............................................................................ 107 Hon. Tom Udall ................................................................................................ 109 Hon. Mark Warner ........................................................................................... 111 Response to written question submitted to General Charles F. Bolden, Jr. by: Hon. Kay Bailey Hutchison ............................................................................. 112 Hon. John Thune .............................................................................................. 113 Hon. Roger Wicker ..........................................................................................