Mineta Promises Hours Review

January 31, 2001 11:58 AM, EST

WASHINGTON — As Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta cruised through his Senate confirmation hearing last week, he said he would review proposed changes to the hours of service for truck drivers and re-examine the potential economic effect of the regulations as well as how they might promote highway safety.

Pressed by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Mineta also promised to look at truck transport of hazardous material and said he will review trucking safety in general.

Mineta, the lone Democrat in President Bush’s cabinet, was still answering questions from senators on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee when the full Senate unanimously approved his appointment as transportation secretary. Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.), announcing the 100-0 vote, joked that Mineta was confirmed by “a narrow margin.” Mineta was secretary of commerce under former President Clinton.

Mineta told senators at the Jan. 24 hearing that his No. 1 priority in his new job is public safety. His second priority is to determine whether the $55 billion appropriated for federal transportation programs and Department of Transportation agencies in fiscal 2001 is adequate for achieving safety objectives.

For the full story, see the Jan. 29 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.