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“REMARKS BY U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY RODNEY SLATER ON THE PASSING OF SENATOR JOHN CHAFEE” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the Senate section on pages S13921 on Nov. 4, 1999.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
REMARKS BY U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY RODNEY SLATER ON THE PASSING
OF SENATOR JOHN CHAFEE
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, today, as we gather together to witness Lincoln Chafee take the oath of office to serve as the Senator from Rhode Island, I am reminded of my conversation last week with Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater.
We shared fond memories of our friend and spoke of his many contributions to transportation safety. Secretary Slater worked closely with Chairman Chafee on transportation issues that came before the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
I ask unanimous consent to print in the Record the remarks made last week by Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater on the passing of our colleagues, Senator John Chafee.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
Statement of U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater on the
Passing of Senator John Chafee
We are deeply saddened by the death of Senator John Chafee. He served the people of Rhode Island and of this nation long and well, and leaves a legacy of accomplishment that will endure for generations.
As chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Sen. Chafee realized that the highway system is more than concrete, asphalt and steel, and was an early champion of a safer, more balanced, environmentally sensitive transportation system. As a key author of the ground-breaking Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, he possessed a vision of how much better and stronger our surface transportation system could be. He then worked tirelessly to preserve and build on those gains in the 1998 Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century. He cared deeply about health care, and fought hard for critical highway safety improvements and against drunk and drugged driving.
Sen. Chafee was responsible for the creation of the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program and transportation enhancement activities. He insisted that the highway system not be looked at alone, but rather as a comprehensive network which includes trains, planes, buses, ferries, bicycles and pedestrain paths.
Sen. Chafee also was a protector of our marine environment, playing a major role in the passage of legislation to prevent oil spills and prohibit ocean dumping. He also was instrumental in the passage of the 1990 Clean Air Act. He always worked in a bipartisan manner with President Clinton and this administration in order to get things done.
Here at the U.S. Department of Transportation, we will work to carry forward his legacy as we continue to build the transportation system of the next century.
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