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Bush picks former highway chief as transport secretary

Posted on: Tuesday, 5 September 2006, 15:21 CDT

By John Crawley

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush on Tuesday nominated former federal highway official Mary Peters to be transportation secretary, choosing a little known but stalwart Republican to replace the Cabinet's lone Democrat if confirmed by the Senate.

Considered a safe pick ahead of what is expected to be a bruising election season for Republicans, Peters was selected over prominent but more politically charged candidates, including Federal Aviation Administration chief Marion Blakey.

If confirmed, Peters would replace Norman Mineta, who left in July as the longest-serving transportation secretary after 5 1/2 years. Peters would be only the second woman to lead the Transportation Department in its nearly 40-year history.

Elizabeth Dole, now a North Carolina senator, served as transport secretary in the mid-1980s.

Mineta spent much of his time dealing with the colossal impact of the September 11, 2001, hijack attacks on U.S. aviation -- from the brief shutdown of commercial airline service to the creation of new security measures and the near-collapse of the domestic airline industry.

Peters led the Federal Highway Administration from 2001 to 2005 after heading up the Arizona transportation department. She helped Mineta craft the Bush administration's position on landmark highway legislation and is an advocate of new strategies for financing road construction projects.

Her obscurity pales next to Mineta's brand-name status in Washington. He honed his sharp political skills during two decades in Congress and a stint as President Bill Clinton's Commerce Secretary.

"Mary Peters knows the legacy she has to live up to at the Department of Transportation," Bush said. "She will take this new post during a time of historic challenges for our economy and our transportation system."

Peters said aging transportation infrastructure as well as increased highway, air and rail congestion are robbing the nation of productivity. "In some cases this is the result of systems and structures that are more suited to a bygone era than the 21st century," she said.

As highway administrator, Peters favored expanding the authority of states to toll motorists and supported a greater role of private-sector investment in highway construction. She also opposed raising the federal gasoline tax, which accounts for much of the government's contribution to state highway construction projects.

Peters lives in Phoenix and is currently a vice president at HDR, Inc. an engineering firm. Her planned 2006 run for Arizona governor foundered last year over questions about her state residency qualifications after living in Virginia during her Bush administration tenure.

As transportation secretary, she will also have to address the politically difficult problems of new funding sources for modernization of the nation's air traffic system and overhauling Amtrak, the troubled passenger rail network.

The Transportation Department has a budget of $61 billion and 60,000 employees.

Source: REUTERS

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