Expressing the condolences of the Senate on the death of the Honorable Norman Y. Mineta.

Expressing the condolences of the Senate on the death of the Honorable Norman Y. Mineta. Whereas Norman Yoshio Mineta (referred to in this preamble as Norman Y. Mineta Whereas, as a young child during World War II, Norman Y. Mineta and his family were unjustly sent to Heart Mountain Relocation Camp in Park County, Wyoming by the United States Government due to their Japanese ancestry; Whereas Norman Y. Mineta returned to San Jose with his family after World War II, graduated from San Jose High School, and went on to earn a degree in business administration from the University of California, Berkeley; Whereas Norman Y. Mineta honorably served as a United States Army intelligence officer in Japan and Korea before returning home and joining the insurance business run by his father; Whereas, in 1967, Norman Y. Mineta became the first person of color to serve on the San Jose City Council and, in 1971, was elected as the 59th Mayor of San Jose, becoming the first Asian American to serve as mayor of a major city in the United States; Whereas Norman Y. Mineta was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1974, where he served as president of the freshman class and went on to spend more than 20 years, during which time he never forgot a name; Whereas Norman Y. Mineta was a champion of civil rights and cosponsored the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 ( 50 U.S.C. 4211 et seq. (1) was signed into law by President Ronald W. Reagan; and (2) expressed a formal apology to the thousands of individuals of Japanese ancestry in the United States who were forced into internment camps during World War II and offered $20,000 payments to each individual; Whereas Norman Y. Mineta distinguished himself as an expert on transportation issues and an advocate for mass transit, serving as Chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives; Whereas Norman Y. Mineta entered the private sector after leaving Congress, but continued to serve the United States as Chairman of the National Civil Aviation Review Commission; Whereas Norman Y. Mineta was nominated by President William J. Clinton in 2000 to be the United States Secretary of Commerce; Whereas Norman Y. Mineta was nominated by President George W. Bush in 2001 to serve as the United States Secretary of Transportation; Whereas, while serving as Secretary of Transportation on September 11, 2001, Norman Y. Mineta secured the airspace of the United States by ordering all civilian air traffic to land immediately and implemented new security protocols to ensure the safety of air travelers; Whereas Norman Y. Mineta was the loving husband of Danealia Brantner Mineta, and father of David Mineta, Stuart Mineta, Robert Brantner, and Mark Brantner; and Whereas Norman Y. Mineta was known for his warm personality, commitment to public service, accessibility and accountability, and passion for his work: Now, therefore, be it That the Senate (1) has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Norman Yoshio Mineta, former member of the United States House of Representatives, former Secretary of Commerce, and former Secretary of Transportation; (2) respectfully requests the Secretary of the Senate communicate this resolution to the House of Representatives and transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the family of Norman Yoshio Mineta; and (3) when the Senate adjourns today, stands adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the Honorable Norman Yoshio Mineta.

Summary: This resolution offers the condolences of the Senate regarding the death of the Honorable Norman Yoshio Mineta, who formerly served in the House of Representatives and as the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Transportation.