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“RETIREMENT OF SAM WHITEHORN” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the Senate section on pages S11489 on Dec. 7, 2006.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
RETIREMENT OF SAM WHITEHORN
Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to a member of my staff who will be leaving the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation after more than 15 years working for this institution and more than 25 years of service to the American public. Sam Whitehorn has been my deputy staff director and general counsel on the Commerce Committee during the 109th Congress, but he has worked diligently for the committee's membership and many of our predecessors during more than a decade as senior counsel on the Aviation Subcommittee. I know Senators Jay Rockefeller, Fritz Hollings, and Wendell Ford hold Sam in the highest regard for his commitment to this institution and his efforts to pass legislation that established the United States as a world leader in aviation and transportation policy.
Sam's reputation as an expert and dogged proponent of aviation security, safety, and economic viability is known to everyone in the aviation community. His ability to negotiate and work in a bipartisan fashion has served the committee honorably, allowing aviation legislation to consistently move responsibly and timely. His accomplishments speak well of him: he has been involved in the passage of six Federal Aviation Administration Authorization, FAA, reauthorization bills during his tenure. While Sam has more recently expanded his reach to other major aspects of the Commerce Committee's agenda, aviation continues to have a special place in his heart.
This country and the aviation industry also have benefited from Sam's commitment to public service and his expertise on the issues during one of our most difficult times in modern history. After the horrible attacks of September 11, 2001, he helped lead the passage of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, which established the Transportation Security Administration, TSA. That legislation was instrumental in restoring public confidence in our aviation system.
He also played a central role in the development of legislation that currently funds the aviation system, efforts to advance the modernization of the National Airspace System, NAS, and promoted workplace reforms at the FAA which have helped place the agency on a more economically viable path. To put it simply, Sam Whitehorn's name is synonymous with aviation safety, security, and viability.
Prior to working for the Senate Commerce Committee, Sam worked at the U.S. Department of Transportation, DOT, as a senior attorney in the Office of the General Counsel for Regulations and Enforcement where he represented the DOT on a host of aviation issues. Before that he was a staff attorney in the antitrust section of the Civil Aeronautics Board, CAB, the precursor to the FAA.
While Sam has a passion for aviation and has been truly devoted to the Senate Commerce Committee, nothing has been more important to him than his family. From his upbringing in New Hyde Park, NY, to the many years he has spent in his adopted hometown of Washington, DC, his close-knit family has been vital to his success. We have seen his dedication to his wife Carol, who has been extremely patient at times, and more recently saw him watch proudly as his son Michael and daughter Zoe went off to college. We greatly appreciate their willingness to share Sam with us for these many years.
As Sam retires from the Senate, we wish him nothing but the best. He will be missed, but his legacy will remain strong as we continue to tackle aviation issues in the future. I and this institution will miss him.
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