*EPF209 01/02/01
Bush Selects Commerce Secretary Mineta for Transportation Post
(A Democrat, Mineta worked on aviation issues in House) (920)

Washington -- President-elect George W. Bush has selected Norman Mineta, the current secretary of commerce, as his choice for secretary of transportation.

In a January 2 press briefing in Austin, Republican Bush cited the significance of selecting a Democrat for his Cabinet.

"It's also important to send a signal that this is an administration that recognizes talent when we see it regardless of political party," Bush said.

Both Bush and Mineta discussed his selection as an example of an approach to governing with bipartisan support.

"The challenge before all of us as Americans, regardless of party affiliation, is to find those areas where we can build bipartisan consensus on the policies and the programs that are needed to move this nation forward," Mineta said at the Austin briefing.

A 20-year member of the U.S. House of Representatives representing a district in California that includes Silicon Valley, Mineta chaired the House aviation subcommittee for eight years and chaired the full House Public Works and Transportation Committee in 1993-94.

After retiring from Congress, Mineta became a vice president of the Lockheed Martin Corporation. He took office at the Commerce Department in July 2000, succeeding William Daley, who had resigned to become Vice President Gore's campaign manager.

In the briefing neither Mineta emphasized the importance of adequate transportation infrastructure to sustained economic expansion. In the House and in the Clinton administration Mineta advocated open skies aviation agreements with foreign governments.

Following is the text of his official Commerce Department biography:

(begin text)

Biography of Secretary of Commerce Norman Y. Mineta

Norman Y. Mineta became the 33rd Secretary of Commerce on July 21, 2000.

Secretary Mineta oversees a Department of 40,000 people worldwide with a $5 billion budget. The far-reaching Department promotes American businesses, keeps a vast array of economic statistics, conducts the census, issues patents and trademarks, develops technology, measurements and standards, conducts oceanic research, and forecasts the weather. In addition, Secretary Mineta advises President Clinton on all matters concerning commerce. He serves as a strong voice for businesses and their workers in the Cabinet and as a member of the President's economic team.

Secretary Mineta has set as his top priorities: keeping people in business; investing in our nation's future; protecting our coastal and marine resources; continuing to mainstream the new economy -- working toward digital inclusion for all Americans; and ensuring an accessible and accountable government.

A distinguished public servant for four decades, Secretary Mineta is the first Asian Pacific American to serve in a Presidential Cabinet. Throughout his career, Mineta accomplished many other "firsts": In 1967, he became the first Asian Pacific American Member of the City Council of his hometown of San Jose, California. Just four years later, in 1971, he was elected Mayor of San Jose -- the first Asian Pacific American Mayor of a major U.S. city. While serving in the Congress, Mineta founded the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and served as its first Chair.

President Clinton said of him, "he brings an in-depth understanding of American business and a strong sense of the needs of our high-tech economy. But he also has a deep concern for people, for the people in places who are not yet fully participating in this economy."

Secretary Mineta, a native of San Jose, California, most recently served as Vice President, Special Business Initiatives at Lockheed Martin Corporation. Mineta is a former Member of the United States House of Representatives and has a long and distinguished record of public service. He was first elected to Congress in 1974 to represent Silicon Valley. In 1993, Mineta became Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Public Works and Transportation. Once called the "Cal Ripken of politics," Mineta was admired and respected on Capitol Hill. He was known for his dedication to the people of his district, for consensus building among his colleagues and for forging public-private partnerships. During his tenure in Congress, Mineta's legislative and policy agenda was wide and varied, including major projects in the areas of economic development, science and technology policy, trade, transportation, the environment, intelligence, the budget and civil rights.

Throughout his career, Mineta has had extensive experience in economic, business, trade and technology issues. He played a key role in settling the semiconductor chip dispute with Japan, focused on protecting intellectual property rights, worked to make the research and development tax credit permanent, and saw to it that several export administration offices were opened in California, among many other Commerce-related initiatives.

Secretary Mineta and his family were among the 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry forced into internment camps by the United States Government during the Second World War. They were uprooted from their home in San Jose and brought to the Heart Mountain Relocation Center, near Cody, Wyoming.

During the 100th Congress, Mineta was the driving force behind passage of H.R. 442, the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which officially apologized for and redressed the injustices endured by Japanese Americans during the War. In 1995, George Washington University awarded the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Medal to Mineta for his contributions to the field of civil rights.

Secretary Mineta is married to Danealia Mineta. He has two sons, David and Stuart Mineta, and two stepsons, Robert and Mark Brantner.

(end text)

(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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