Majority Statement

• Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV
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  Majority Statement

  Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV

  WASHINGTON, D.C.--Good afternoon. I want to welcome and congratulate our nominees. I commend you for accepting your nation’s call to serve. 

  I apologize in advance for having to leave before our second panel of nominees today. 

  I want to thank Senator Lautenberg for chairing the panel and for his deep commitment to Amtrak, culminating in the Amtrak Reauthorization that passed in the last Congress. 

  Now, it is my pleasure to welcome Mr. Scott B. Quehl, the president’s nominee to be Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary of Administration for the Department of Commerce. 

  If confirmed you will be responsible for overseeing the Department’s financial resources, human resources and facilities. 

  With the Department’s $17 billion budget and more than 38,000 employees, I am confident your financial management experience will serve you well in carrying out these vital responsibilities.  

  I am also pleased to welcome Mr. Suresh Kumar, the president’s nominee to be the Commerce Department’s Assistant Secretary of Trade Promotion and Director General of the U.S. Foreign and Commercial Services. 

  Mr. Philip Coyle has been nominated to be Associate Director for National Security and International Affairs in the Office of Science and Technology Policy.  

  This position is currently vacant and has sat unfilled for nearly a decade. I hope, Mr. Coyle, that your nomination will serve to highlight the important role of science in an inescapably connected global community. 

  Dr. Mark Rosekind has been reappointed by the president to be a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board. 

  While aviation accidents may get the most attention, the NTSB investigates accidents in all transportation modes. And in a majority of those accidents, fatigue has been a factor. 

  The NTSB has made recommendations to address fatigue, going back almost to the Board’s inception more than 40 years ago. 

  Going forward, Dr. Rosekind, I know that your expertise in sleep science will be a tremendous asset to the Board and our nation on this critical issue. 

  Later, the committee will hear from Anthony Coscia and Bert DiClemente, nominated to serve on the Amtrak Board of Directors.  

  That means implementing the significant reforms in the Amtrak Reauthorization law and the Administration’s policies supporting intercity and high-speed passenger rail; helping Amtrak become a bigger and better company and helping our nation meet its mobility goals. 

  Thank you again to our nominees for your testimony today and your service to our nation. I look forward to your speedy confirmation.

Minority Statement

• Ranking Member Kay Bailey Hutchison
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  Minority Statement

  Ranking Member Kay Bailey Hutchison

  WASHINGTON, D.C. - Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding today’s hearing. We will consider a number of nominees chosen to fill positions across a variety of agencies. I congratulate them on their nomination. I want to first welcome Mr. Scott Quehl, who has been nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary for Administration and Chief Financial Officer at the Department of Commerce.

  The Commerce Department’s jurisdiction covers such far-reaching matters as domestic telecommunications infrastructure, the census, export promotion, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). With over $17 billion in budget authority for fiscal year 2009, the Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Commerce has an enormous responsibility to ensure that the taxpayers’ money is being spent wisely. I look forward to hearing from Mr. Quehl and learning about his plans to ensure fiscal responsibility throughout the Department of Commerce.

  I am pleased the Administration has moved to fill the position of Associate Director for National Security and International Affairs at the Office of Science and Technology Policy and welcome the nominee, Mr. Philip Coyle. This is an important position at OSTP, and a key to ensuring that America not only remains competitive, but also safe from bioterrorism, cyber sabotage, and other threats.

  Mr. Coyle’s background and experience make him well-equipped to undertake the challenges and responsibilities of this position, and I look forward to being able to support his confirmation.

  I am also pleased to welcome Mr. Suresh Kumar, who has been nominated to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service. The U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service provides important services to U.S. businesses to help them compete in the global marketplace. It expands the markets available to U.S. exporters and provides assistance to small and medium sized businesses that want to promote their products overseas.

  Mr. Kumar has significant international business experience and I look forward to hearing his ideas for the U.S. Commercial Service.

  I would also like to recognize our transportation-related nominees, who will appear on the second panel today. Dr. Mark Rosekind has been nominated to be a member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and Mr. Albert DiClemente and Mr. Anthony Coscia have been nominated to be members of the Amtrak Board of Directors.

  As a former NTSB Vice-Chair, I understand well the important role the Board plays in promoting our nation’s transportation safety. Mr. Rosekind is a recognized expert in the area of fatigue, which impacts safety across all transportation modes. I will be interested in learning how he hopes to help the Board, and in turn, the transportation industry, address fatigue management, as well as hearing his views on other safety improvements.

  And finally, I welcome the two Amtrak Board of Directors nominees, Mr. Coscia and Mr. DiClemente. I have long been a supporter of Amtrak and of a national system for passenger rail. It is important that we look beyond the Northeast Corridor to other parts of the country that can benefit from increased Amtrak service, including Texas. I will be very interested in hearing from Mr. Coscia and Mr. DiClemente today on how they believe passenger rail service can be improved and expanded to play a greater role in our nation’s transportation system.

  Thank you.

Testimony

• Mr. Scott Quehl

  to be Assistant Secretary and Chief Financial Officer at the U.S. Department of Commerce
  Download Testimony (63.09 KB)

• Mr. Philip Coyle

  to be the Associate Director at the Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President
  Download Testimony (58.96 KB)

• Mr. Suresh Kumar

  to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service
  Download Testimony (19.78 KB)

Witness Panel 2

• Dr. Mark Rosekind

  to be a Member and Reappointed to the National Transportation Safety Board
  Download Testimony (108.77 KB)

• Mr. Anthony R. Coscia

  to be a Director of the Amtrak Board of Directors
  Download Testimony (73.96 KB)

• Mr. Albert DiClemente

  to be a Director of the Amtrak Board of Directors
  Download Testimony (54.77 KB)