Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1377, which recognizes the accomplishments of a great American and a role model for the entire American Asian and Pacific Islander community-- Norman Yoshio Mineta. Secretary Mineta's long list of accomplishments have and continue to be a source of great pride to the Asian American community. At a time when few Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders were visible in the public sector, Norm was elected to Congress and rose to become Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, on which I currently serve. I am always happy to see his face among the many portraits of chairmen lining the walls of the committee room. He served as Secretary of Commerce under President Bill Clinton and Secretary of Transportation under President George W. Bush. I especially remember Norm's swearing in as Secretary of Commerce. I met Norm shortly after becoming Hawaii's Lieutenant Governor. We quickly became friends. I was so thrilled when I learned of his appointment as Secretary of Commerce that I flew up to Washington on very short notice to attend his swearing-in ceremony. In addition to his more publicly acknowledged accomplishments, Norm is well recognized as a champion for ensuring the full participation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in American life. He is an acknowledged leader in attaining redress for Japanese Americans who were interned during World War II.…”