[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 42 (Monday, October 23, 2006)]
[Pages 1833-1835]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
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

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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 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

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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 ``Terry'' 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.