Political Quotes

“I rise today to commend the departing Chairman of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, Deborah A.P. Hersman, as she prepares to launch a new career as president and CEO of the century-old National Safety Council. A 12-year veteran staffer of Capitol Hill, Debbie is no stranger to many Senators on both sides of the aisle. After graduating with a degree in political science from Virginia Tech and receiving a master's in conflict resolution from George Mason University, she worked as a staffer for my former colleague, Congressman Bob Wise, where she rose from intern to staff director and then to senior legislative aide. He used to say, ``She has a backbone. Don't ever think that you are ever going to push her over.'' I can see why. Debbie came to the Senate in 1999 to work for the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation under the leadership of Senator Jay Rockefeller. Her efforts during that time contributed to the passage of some of the benchmark legislation underpinning the transportation safety framework she vigorously upheld as NTSB Chairman, such as the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999, Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002, Transportation Equity Act of the 21st Century, and Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act. Debbie's outstanding leadership at the NTSB has helped make traveling safer for all Americans.…”