[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 78 (Tuesday, May 10, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E469]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING THE LATE SECRETARY NORMAN MINETA

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. ROBERT C. ``BOBBY'' SCOTT

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 10, 2022

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, as a proud member of the 
Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, I rise today to pay 
tribute to the founding Chair of our caucus and a dedicated public 
servant, the late Secretary Norman Mineta, who passed away on May 3, 
2022.
  It was an honor to serve my first term in Congress alongside 
Congressman Mineta. Norman was the son of Japanese immigrants who were 
held in an internment camp during World War II, and he would later 
became one of our country's highest-profile Asian American political 
leaders. In 1971, Norman was the first Asian American to lead a major 
U.S. city when he was elected Mayor of San Jose, California. In 1974, 
he was elected to the United States House of Representatives from 
California's 13th congressional district. He went on to serve ten terms 
in Congress and served as the Chairman of the House Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure.
  In 2000, President Bill Clinton appointed Norman to be U.S. Secretary 
of Commerce and he became the first Asian American to hold a cabinet 
position. President George W. Bush appointed him U.S. Secretary of 
Transportation in 2001, making him just the fourth person to serve in 
the cabinet of two presidents from different political parties. He was 
highly influential in creating the Transportation Security 
Administration (TSA) in the wake of the September 11th terrorist 
attacks.
  Madam Speaker, I ask that all my colleagues join in paying tribute to 
an extraordinary American and public servant.

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