Changes

The NPR had promised a government that not only would do its job better, but would cost the taxpayers less as well. Consequently, the Clinton administration was able, by December 19, 1994, to propose a "middle-class" tax cut, one that would be funded in part by restructuring several federal departments and agencies, including the Department of Transportation. That same day, Peña outlined a plan to restructure the department by the end of the decade. After a month and a half of workshops and discussions with Congress, the public, and department employees throughout the country, Peña announced a restructuring plan for the department. Pending congressional approval, three operating administrations, a Federal Aviation Administration, a new Intermodal Transportation Administration, and the Coast Guard, would replace the current ten. Where Congressional approval was not necessary, Peña moved ahead, transferring the Office of Commercial Space Transportation from the Office of the Secretary to the Federal Aviation Administration, and launching the Transportation Administrative Services Center (TASC) to provide fee-based administrative services previously financed by the Working Capital Fund, both within DOT and to other government agencies.

The NPR had promised a government that not only would do its job better, but would cost the taxpayers less as well. Consequently, the Clinton administration was able, by December 19, 1994, to propose a "middle-class" tax cut, one that would be funded in part by restructuring several federal departments and agencies, including the Department of Transportation. That same day, Peña outlined a plan to restructure the department by the end of the decade. After a month and a half of workshops and discussions with Congress, the public, and department employees throughout the country, Peña announced a restructuring plan for the department. Pending congressional approval, three operating administrations, a Federal Aviation Administration, a new Intermodal Transportation Administration, and the Coast Guard, would replace the current ten. Where Congressional approval was not necessary, Peña moved ahead, transferring the Office of Commercial Space Transportation from the Office of the Secretary to the Federal Aviation Administration, and launching the Transportation Administrative Services Center (TASC) to provide fee-based administrative services previously financed by the Working Capital Fund, both within DOT and to other government agencies.

Following his reelection in 1996, Clinton selected Federal Highway Administrator Rodney E. Slater to succeed Peña at DOT. The second former federal highway administrator (after Volpe) and the second African-American (after Coleman) to become Secretary, Slater was instrumental in getting ISTEA reauthorized, with the passage of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, the largest public works legislation in history. During his first year and a half at DOT, airline and railroad mergers again became fashionable. Department negotiators helped to avert a strike against Amtrak--and Congress mandated that Corporation''s overhaul; the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued regulations allowing consumers to turn off their airbag switches where necessary; and the United States finalized a long-sought, liberalized aviation agreement with Japan.

Following his reelection in 1996, Clinton selected Federal Highway Administrator Rodney E. Slater to succeed Peña at DOT. The second former federal highway administrator (after Volpe) and the second African-American (after Coleman) to become Secretary, Slater was instrumental in getting ISTEA reauthorized, with the passage of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, the largest public works legislation in history. During his first year and a half at DOT, airline and railroad mergers again became fashionable. Department negotiators helped to avert a strike against Amtrak—and Congress mandated that Corporation''s overhaul; the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued regulations allowing consumers to turn off their airbag switches where necessary; and the United States finalized a long-sought, liberalized aviation agreement with Japan.

Also, in keeping with his conviction that transportation was about "more than concrete, asphalt, and steel," Slater announced the Garrett A. Morgan Technology and Transportation Futures program to encourage students to choose careers in transportation; a "Safe Skies for Africa" Initiative to promote sustainable improvements in aviation safety and airport security in Africa; and on October 8, 1998, proposed the idea of creating a unified Department, ONE DOT, able to act as an integrated, purposeful leader increasing transportation efficiency and effectiveness.

Also, in keeping with his conviction that transportation was about "more than concrete, asphalt, and steel," Slater announced the Garrett A. Morgan Technology and Transportation Futures program to encourage students to choose careers in transportation; a "Safe Skies for Africa" Initiative to promote sustainable improvements in aviation safety and airport security in Africa; and on October 8, 1998, proposed the idea of creating a unified Department, ONE DOT, able to act as an integrated, purposeful leader increasing transportation efficiency and effectiveness.

In the wake of the Presidential Election of 2000, the eventual winner, Texas Governor [[George W. Bush]] (R), reached out to the Democratic Party for his nominee to head DOT. After the closest race in 112 years, the issue hung--for five weeks--on the contested vote in Florida, with electoral votes that could have swung the election to either Bush or his Democratic rival, Vice President [[Al Gore]]. Following a [[U.S. Supreme Court]] ruling that essentially certified the Republican standard bearer's victory, Bush chose former San Jose Mayor and Congressman Norman Y. Mineta (D-CA), a Japanese-American who, along with his family, had been held in a relocation camp in Wyoming during World War II. Mineta, age sixty-nine, was, when Bush nominated him to become the nation's fourteenth Secretary of Transportation, Bill Clinton's Secretary of Commerce. After an extraordinarily close election, Bush turned to a Democrat who was not changing parties, just Cabinet posts, to heal the partisan breach. As such, Mineta would become the first Asian-Pacific American to serve as Secretary of Transportation-and the first DOT Secretary to have served in a previous Cabinet position.

In the wake of the Presidential Election of 2000, the eventual winner, Texas Governor [[George W. Bush]] (R), reached out to the Democratic Party for his nominee to head DOT. After the closest race in 112 years, the issue hung—for five weeks—on the contested vote in Florida, with electoral votes that could have swung the election to either Bush or his Democratic rival, Vice President [[Al Gore]]. Following a [[U.S. Supreme Court]] ruling that essentially certified the Republican standard bearer's victory, Bush chose former San Jose Mayor and Congressman Norman Y. Mineta (D-CA), a Japanese-American who, along with his family, had been held in a relocation camp in Wyoming during World War II. Mineta, age sixty-nine, was, when Bush nominated him to become the nation's fourteenth Secretary of Transportation, Bill Clinton's Secretary of Commerce. After an extraordinarily close election, Bush turned to a Democrat who was not changing parties, just Cabinet posts, to heal the partisan breach. As such, Mineta would become the first Asian-Pacific American to serve as Secretary of Transportation-and the first DOT Secretary to have served in a previous Cabinet position.

Less than eight months into the new Bush Administration, on [[September 11, 2001]], radical Islamic extremists with the group [[Al Qaeda]], hoping to sow terror and confusion among Americans, commandeered four American domestic airliners, and transformed them into missiles that were used to destroy the [[World Trade Center]] in [[New York City]] and to hobble [[The Pentagon]] in Arlington, Virginia, killing thousands. Under Mineta's command, DOT managers and FAA air traffic controllers performed a herculean task by bringing the rest of the fleet down safely. Responding to this new form of terrorism, Congress passed and, on November 19, 2001, Bush signed into law the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, which, among other things, called for the establishment of a completely new Transportation Security Administration in the Department of Transportation, to increase security at airports and other transportation venues. On February 16, 2002, the Transportation Security Administration opened for business, and was due to become fully operational by year's end. On June 6, 2002, Bush asked for a broad-based reorganization of the Federal government, which, by establishing a Cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security, proposed to transfer the Coast Guard and the Transportation Security Administration out of the Department of Transportation.

Less than eight months into the new Bush Administration, on [[September 11, 2001]], radical Islamic extremists with the group [[Al Qaeda]], hoping to sow terror and confusion among Americans, commandeered four American domestic airliners, and transformed them into missiles that were used to destroy the [[World Trade Center]] in [[New York City]] and to hobble [[The Pentagon]] in Arlington, Virginia, killing thousands. Under Mineta's command, DOT managers and FAA air traffic controllers performed a herculean task by bringing the rest of the fleet down safely. Responding to this new form of terrorism, Congress passed and, on November 19, 2001, Bush signed into law the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, which, among other things, called for the establishment of a completely new Transportation Security Administration in the Department of Transportation, to increase security at airports and other transportation venues. On February 16, 2002, the Transportation Security Administration opened for business, and was due to become fully operational by year's end. On June 6, 2002, Bush asked for a broad-based reorganization of the Federal government, which, by establishing a Cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security, proposed to transfer the Coast Guard and the Transportation Security Administration out of the Department of Transportation.

License: This work is in the [[public domain]] in the United States because it is a work of the United States Federal Government under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code.| source = [http://www.dot.gov/index.cfm]

License: This work is in the [[public domain]] in the United States because it is a work of the United States Federal Government under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code.| source = [http://www.dot.gov/index.cfm]

[[Category : United States Department of Transportation]]

[[Category:United States Department of Transportation]]

[[Category : Transportation]]

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[[Category : United States Government]]

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