REMARKS
FOR
THE
HONORABLE NORMAN Y. MINETA
SECRETARY
OF TRANSPORTATION
U.S.
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SUMMIT ON
“SECURING
THE SUPPLY CHAIN: CARGO LOGISTICS
AND THE AMERICAN ECONOMY”
WASHINGTON,
D.C.
APRIL 24, 2002
Thank
you, Greg, for that very gracious introduction.
It is a pleasure to be here today to speak with you about what is one of
my favorite subjects – transportation.
I
want to take this opportunity to commend the Chamber of Commerce for helping us
plan for the future, and for offering good advice to the Department of
Transportation and to the industry as a whole.
And,
today’s topic is particularly important.
In
his State of the Union address, President Bush established three preeminent
goals for America:
winning
the war against terrorism – both at home
and abroad;
protecting
our homeland against future attacks; and,
reviving
the American economy.
I
am proud to say the Department of Transportation and our new Transportation
Security Administration, the TSA, play important roles in meeting all three of
the President’s goals, and efficient movement of cargo across America is a key
function in our efforts.
Obviously, our job is not done in the aviation sector – far from it. We continue to make progress under the Aviation and Transportation Security Act.
Today’s
front pages reflect the most recent victory in our continuing mission to improve
the security of the traveling public. I’m
referring to the joint effort mounted by the Justice Department, our own
Inspector General Ken Mead, our TSA, and a team of state and federal agencies
which resulted in the latest arrests of those who attempted to deceive the
system of background checks.
We
began this nationwide scrutiny of our transportation system workforce in the
wake of September 11th. We
have other operations underway, and we will not stop until we are satisfied that
we have a workforce the traveling public can trust.
Later
this week, we will transmit to Congress details about the mix of explosive
detection equipment that we will deploy at our nation’s 429 commercial
airports. We are working with the Hill to use our supplemental funding
to purchase approximately 1,100 Explosive Detection Systems, and to combine them
with an estimated 4,700 Explosive Trace Detection machines.
As
we have previously announced, some airports will utilize all EDS, some all
Trace, and many a mix of both. Under
our “system of systems” approach, we will insist on the same high standards
for all airports, large and small.
TSA
has also awarded a contract of up to $105 million to begin the training of our
32,000-strong airport passenger screener force.
Under this contract, Lockheed Martin Services will conduct a program
delivering a minimum of 40 hours of classroom training for each screener, five
times the amount they received under the old system.
Screeners
will also receive 60 hours of on-the-job training, and we will administer a
tough final examination as a requirement for graduation.
In
addition, I am announcing today that Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
will soon lose the last vestiges of its September 11th restrictions
on passenger flights. As you
recall, we allowed DCA to return to full commercial capacity on April 15th.
Now,
DCA will be fully operational for commercial flights under an agreement worked
out by Under Secretary John Magaw, the head of the TSA,
with the Secret Service, DOD, the airlines and other stakeholders.
Beginning
Saturday, these new rules be in effect:
we
will lift the current curfew, and restore the pre-September 11th
hours of operation;
larger
aircraft that previously serviced DCA will be allowed to resume service; and
we
will once again permit planes to fly the “river approach,”
which reduces neighborhood noise.
Finally,
three months ago, we designated Baltimore - Washington International Airport as
the site for developing better screening procedures, and we began using
federally supervised screeners on Concourse C.
Effective April 30th, we will have federal screening personnel
in place on Concourse A and B as well.
So,
those are the latest developments in our ongoing efforts to provide common-sense
and consistent aviation security from curbside to the cockpit.
Although
the media attention has focused on our aviation safety efforts, we are also
developing heightened security procedures and awareness across every mode of
transportation, including rail, highways, transit, maritime and pipelines.
The
volume of cargo moving through U.S. ports, and across our surface transportation
system, is projected to double by 2020 –
everything from sneakers and electronics, to cars and agricultural goods.
Truck
traffic along the U.S./Canadian border is almost back to levels seen before
September 11th, but passenger crossings have decreased significantly,
adversely affecting some local economies.
In
light of this reality, we signed an agreement with Canada to improve border
security while ensuring the efficient flow of goods and travelers.
On
our southern border, we will implement in early summer our new rules under NAFTA,
which require Mexican trucks to operate safely in the U.S.
– a major priority for Tom Donohue when he headed the American
Trucking Association
President
Bush and I understand the importance of truck transport
– trucks carry some 9 billion tons of freight every year.
Freight
transportation must be made secure, but security need not be won by sacrificing
efficiency. We must have a
common-sense, effective balance.
So,
we are pursuing twin goals: world-class security and world-class customer service,
in every transportation mode. We
are looking for procedures that recognize the new, post-September-11th
reality, yet do not pose an unreasonable obstacle to legitimate trade and
travel.
We
do not want our checkpoints to become choke points on the economy.
We
get much of the job done through partnerships with state and local governments
and with the private sector.
My
native California is home to a project that illustrates the benefits of
cooperation. Earlier this month I
participated in the Grand Opening of the Alameda Corridor in Los Angeles, an
excellent example of how partnerships equal success.
The
Alameda Corridor Project increases freight capacity and reduces congestion on
the truck and rail links to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the largest
port complex in the country. The Corridor came in on time and on budget, resulting in a
win-win situation for shippers, commuters, and consumers alike.
America
boasts an extensive and productive transportation system based on the strength
of individual modes – air, marine,
highway, and rail. Each mode has
its own culture and constituency.
Now,
we must address the challenge of blending these separate constituencies into an
efficient, national, intermodal transportation system
– a safe and seamless network, extending the capacity of our
infrastructure by easing the connections between modes.
Our efficiencies must be multi-modal, and our security must be flawless
across those connections.
One
major piece of legislation aimed at increasing intermodal cooperation and
efficiency is The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, or
TEA-21. TEA-21 revolutionized
transportation funding and authorized record levels of investment for surface
transportation.
Looking
to the not-too-distant future, the Bush Administration has begun the process of
developing the successor to TEA-21. While
I expect key elements of the Administration’s reauthorization proposal will
seek to preserve and build upon the reforms of TEA-21, we have an opportunity to
do more. We welcome active
involvement by all the stakeholders in this process, including all of you.
We want to strengthen the efficiency and integration of the Nation's system of cargo movement by improving security at international gateways and intermodal connection points.
Earlier
this month, the Coast Guard selected TRW to assist with Port Vulnerability
Assessments at America’s most critical commercial and military seaports.
And, MARAD solicited security proposals from public port facilities for
$93 million in competitive grants that we will award in June.
As you can tell, we have a lot on our plate. But let there be no doubt. We will meet every goal in the law... honor every deadline.
Whether it is passengers or cargo, land, sea or air, Americans deserve world-class security and world-class customer service, and that’s exactly what they will enjoy.
Thank
you very much. Travel safely.
And God bless America.
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