[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 62 (Tuesday, April 29, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S2463]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO DEBORAH A.P. HERSMAN

  Mr. REID. Madam President, I rise today to commend the departing 
Chairman of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, Deborah A.P. 
Hersman, as she prepares to launch a new career as president and CEO of 
the century-old National Safety Council.
  A 12-year veteran staffer of Capitol Hill, Debbie is no stranger to 
many Senators on both sides of the aisle. After graduating with a 
degree in political science from Virginia Tech and receiving a master's 
in conflict resolution from George Mason University, she worked as a 
staffer for my former colleague, Congressman Bob Wise, where she rose 
from intern to staff director and then to senior legislative aide. He 
used to say, ``She has a backbone. Don't ever think that you are ever 
going to push her over.'' I can see why.
  Debbie came to the Senate in 1999 to work for the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation under the leadership of Senator 
Jay Rockefeller. Her efforts during that time contributed to the 
passage of some of the benchmark legislation underpinning the 
transportation safety framework she vigorously upheld as NTSB Chairman, 
such as the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999, Pipeline 
Safety Improvement Act of 2002, Transportation Equity Act of the 21st 
Century, and Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act.
  Debbie's outstanding leadership at the NTSB has helped make traveling 
safer for all Americans. She was the NTSB member on scene for the 
terrible Metro train collision in 2009 in this city where nine people 
lost their lives and dozens were injured. I was glad to see that she 
and the agency took charge of the investigation, and I admire her 
commitment to ensuring such a horrific incident will not occur again.
  Debbie oversaw the timely completion of several high-profile accident 
investigations during her tenure as Chairman, including the deadly 2011 
crash at the Reno National Championship Air Races. During the third lap 
of a six-lap race, 11 people lost their lives and many suffered 
injuries when a show plane plummeted into the spectator stands. As many 
of you know, these are enormously popular events. I have attended them 
many times. Our late colleague Senator Ted Stevens was a big fan. My 
own grandchildren attended those races the very week of the crash.
  I commend Debbie and her team for the work they did in the aftermath 
of the tragedy, and to issue timely and effective recommendations to 
help save lives and prevent injuries in the future. Her efficient work 
prior to the first anniversary of the crash enabled the annual air show 
tradition--so important to northern Nevada for nearly 50 years--to 
continue even more safely than before. The recommendations provided by 
the NTSB will ensure that tens of thousands of spectators can safety 
enjoy these races.
  Debbie is acknowledged as a visionary, passionate, and bipartisan 
safety leader who advocates for safety across all modes of 
transportation. At the NTSB, she has been on scene for more than 20 
major transportation incidents; chaired scores of NTSB hearings, 
forums, and events; and regularly testifies before Congress. She was 
first appointed as an NTSB board member by President George W. Bush in 
2004. In 2009, President Obama reappointed her to a second 5-year term 
and appointed her to a 2-year term as Chairman, making her, at age 39, 
the youngest person ever to fill that position. President Obama 
reappointed her as Chairman in 2011, and in August 2013, he nominated 
her for a third term as Chairman and for a third term as a Board 
member, all with unanimous Senate confirmation.
  Among her many initiatives, Debbie has focused attention and actions 
on distracted driving, child passenger safety, and helping accident 
victims and their families. Her leadership has created a more 
transparent and accountable organization by significantly increasing 
the quantity and quality of NTSB information available on the agency's 
Web site, holding more public meetings to highlight safety issues, and 
embracing social media to communicate with the broadest possible 
audience of the traveling public.
  Debbie always emphasizes the NTSB's role as ``the conscience and the 
compass of the transportation industry.'' The Nation has benefitted 
from nearly a decade of her stewardship in the agency's leadership. 
While we are saying goodbye to this passionate standard bearer of 
public safety in the Federal realm, I am very pleased that we are not 
losing her energy on these issues altogether. Her move to lead the 
National Safety Council will open up new doors to her, that 
organization, and to safety initiatives benefitting the entire county. 
It is yet another step forward in an illustrious career of heartfelt 
public service dedicated to protecting the well-being of all Americans.

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