[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
[October 17, 2006]
[Pages 1860-1861]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at a Swearing-In Ceremony for Mary E. Peters as Secretary of Transportation
October 17, 2006

    Thank you very much. Good afternoon. We are here to congratulate 
Mary Peters on becoming our Nation's 15th Secretary of Transportation.
    Mary is a dedicated public servant, an experienced leader, and one 
of our Nation's most innovative thinker on transportation issues. Mary 
brings more than two decades of knowledge and skill to her new post. She 
also brings to her position the love and support of her friends and her 
family. I want to thank her family for being here, especially Mary's 
husband, Terry.
    I appreciate my Chief of Staff, Josh Bolten, who is here to administer the oath. Presidents can't 
administer the oath--[laughter]--so I tapped my man, Josh. [Laughter]
    I want to thank Maria Cino, who is the Deputy 
Secretary, Acting Secretary. I thank you for your service and your 
friendship.
    I appreciate my friend Secretary Norm Mineta. I got some other stuff to say about you here in a minute. 
[Laughter] I do want to thank Rodney Slater 
for joining us, former Secretary of Transportation, as well as Jim 
Burnley. Thank you both for coming. I'm 
proud you're here, and I know Secretary Peters appreciates it as well.
    The job of Secretary of Transportation is one of the most important 
in our Federal Government. The American people rely on the Department of 
Transportation to maintain a safe, reliable, and efficient 
transportation system. And the future of our growing economy and 
changing infrastructure depend on the decisions made by the Secretary 
that will be put into action by this Department.
    The Secretary of Transportation also plays an important role in our 
Nation's coordinated efforts to guard against terrorist threats to our 
aircraft, seaports, and infrastructure. For the past 6 years, these 
responsibilities have been carried out by Norm Mineta, who served our country with distinction, integrity, and 
dedication. Norm is our Nation's longest serving Secretary of 
Transportation, and he served at a time of great consequence for our 
country.
    I remember after the attacks of September the 11th, when 
Norm led the successful effort to bring 
tens of thousands of passengers aboard commercial aircraft to safe 
landings. He grounded quite a few planes, including the ones my 
mom and dad were 
on. They've always thanked you for that, Norm. [Laughter]
    After Hurricane Katrina, Norm and his 
team helped quickly repair and reopen the major--area's major highways, 
airports, seaports, and pipelines. He offered incentive-based contracts 
and used other innovative ideas, and as a result, the Department of 
Transportation was to get critical infrastructure in place faster than 
usual. I want to thank you for your leadership, Norm, and I want to 
thank you for your lifetime of service to our country, and I wish you 
all the very best. And I want to remind you, Maria made you look pretty good while you were in office. 
[Laughter]
    Mary Peters is the right person to succeed Norm as the Secretary of Transportation. She worked for several 
years with Secretary Mineta, and she understands the fine legacy she has 
to live up to. She also knows firsthand the skills and dedication of the 
men and women who work here at the Department of Transportation. She's 
going to be a fine boss. She understands that to maintain our Nation's 
competitiveness and to sustain our growing economy, we need a Secretary 
who can see the challenges and be willing to confront them.
    Mary Peters will provide strong leadership. She has spent a lifetime 
working on transportation issues in both the private and

[[Page 1861]]

public sectors. Most recently, she has served as senior executive for 
transportation policy at a major engineering firm. For 4 years before 
that, she led the Federal Highway Administration. Before coming to 
Washington, she served in the Arizona Department of Transportation. For 
more than 15 years, she rose through the ranks to become director in 
1998.
    At both the State and Federal level, Mary Peters has worked to 
improve safety and security on roads and bridges. She's worked to reduce 
traffic congestion and modernize America's transportation 
infrastructure. As Secretary of Transportation, Mary will work closely 
with Federal, State, and local leaders to ensure that America has a 
state-of-the-art transportation system so that we can meet the needs of 
our growing economy.
    In her new position, she will face important challenges. Next year, 
she will lead the Department's efforts to reauthorize our Nation's 
aviation programs. Our Nation is outgrowing our aviation capacity. More 
people are flying every year, and so we must modernize our airports and 
our air traffic control.
    We also face the challenges of reducing congestion in our surface 
and maritime transportation systems. To accomplish these tasks, America 
needs creative thinking and innovative solutions, and I believe Mary 
Peters will provide them.
    As Mary works to build a better transportation system, she will be a 
careful steward of the people's money. She brings to her new position a 
reputation for fiscal discipline and integrity. As head of the Federal 
Highway Administration, Mary introduced better fiscal oversight and 
accountability. She improved management for the largest transportation 
projects. She worked closely with her department's inspector 
general to eliminate waste, fraud, and 
abuse. She's going to carry this kind of diligence into her new job.
    She understands the importance of a modern infrastructure and good 
management. And I'm pleased she has agreed to serve her country once 
again. As she takes on this important position, she has my full trust 
and my confidence. Mary, I look forward to working with you as the new 
Secretary of Transportation. Congratulations.
    It's now my honor to witness the swearing-in of Mary Peters.

Note: The President spoke at 1:16 p.m. at the Department of 
Transportation. In his remarks, he referred to Terryl Peters, Sr., 
husband of Secretary of Transportation Peters; and former Secretary of 
Transportation James H. Burnley IV. The transcript released by the 
Office of the Press Secretary also included the remarks of Secretary 
Peters.