On the recordDecember 10, 2012
in her marvelous book entitled ``American Heroines: The Spirited Women Who Shaped Our Country,'' Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison wrote the following: ``No history can be written appropriately without acknowledging the part women have played in building the greatness of our country.'' As my valued colleague and good friend begins a new chapter in her life, I hope she finds the time to add a new chapter to her own book, one that will be fascinating, inspiring--and autobiographical. Like the women Kay celebrates as an author, from Amelia Earhart to Sally Ride, from Clara Barton to Condoleeza Rice, Kay Bailey Hutchison is a pioneer, a breaker of barriers. In the special election in 1993, the people of Texas made her the first woman to represent them in the Senate. In the three regular elections since then, they have confirmed their trust in her by ever-increasing margins. As the leader of the Senate Commerce Committee, Kay has been a strong voice for transportation systems that are efficient, safe, and secure. In my own work on the Homeland Security Committee, I am well aware of the major role she played in drafting the airline security bill that Congress passed after the attacks on 9/11/01. She has also worked successfully to include more effective air cargo screening. From the America COMPETES Act to her steadfast support for NASA, Kay is determined our country will not cede its position as the world's leader in science, technology, and space exploration.…





