Pelosi mourns Mineta as ‘pioneering leader,’ ‘great American’

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Wednesday mourned the death of former Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, calling him a “pioneering leader” and a “great American.”

“California and the Country mourn the passing of a pioneering leader and a great American: Norm Mineta,” Pelosi wrote in a statement. “Throughout his long and distinguished public service, Norm was an absolute force in moving our nation closer to a more perfect union: blazing new trails for Asian American leaders and fighting to correct injustices of our past.”

Mineta, who served as Transportation secretary for more than five years during the George W. Bush administration, died of a heart ailment on Tuesday at the age of 90, according to The Associated Press. He died “peacefully at his home surrounded by family” in Edgewater, Md., according to John Flaherty, the secretary’s former chief of staff.

Mineta made history during his time in government, becoming the first Asian American to assume a Cabinet secretary post. He was also the first Asian American to serve as mayor of a major city in the U.S., holding the position in San Jose, Calif., from 1971 to 1975.

Mineta was Transportation secretary during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He ordered all commercial flights grounded in the immediate aftermath of the attack, the AP reported. Bush ultimately presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2006, after he had departed the administration.

When he was a young boy, Mineta was held in an American internment camp during World War II with his family.

Pelosi on Wednesday said Mineta’s career in public service “was an act of profound courage, grace and patriotism.”

“All Americans are in awe of how, despite enduring the tragedy of internment at just ten years old, he still chose to devote his life to serving the nation that had turned its back on him,” she added.

She also remarked on the historic nature of his career.

“When Norm became the first Asian American to hold a post in a Presidential cabinet — first as Secretary of Commerce under President Clinton, then Secretary of Transportation under President Bush — he brought great pride to our nation,” Pelosi said.

“In the aftermath, he worked tirelessly to help build the TSA to bolster the security of our airlines, railroads and seaways. Today, America is safer and stronger because of his devoted service, for which he earned the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom,” she added.