WALTER L. MAZAN, OF VIRGINIA, TO BE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 1969

U.S. SENATE,

COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE,

Washington, D.C.

The committee met at 10 a.m. in room 5110, New Senate Office Building, Hon. Frank E. Moss, presiding.

Present: Senators Moss, Cotton, and Prouty.

Senator Moss. The committee will come to order.

We have before us this morning the nomination of Walter L. Mazan of Vermont to be Assistant Secretary of Transportation.

Mr. Mazan, we are pleased to have you before the committee and we have here the two Senators from Vermont, and Congressman Stafford, so Vermont is well represented.

I think the best thing perhaps would be to hear from the Senators first and we have here a biography of the experience, education, and details concerning the nominee, and that will be placed in the record. (The biography follows:)

Walter L. Mazan of Virginia, nominated by President Richard M. Nixon as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs of the Department of Transportation, is Acting Director of Liaison of the Office of Emergency Preparedness, Executive Office of the President.

In his new post, Mr. Mazan will be responsible for Congressional affairs, public information, industry and labor liaison, and relations with other Federal agencies and State and local governmental units.

Mr. Mazan, as Special Assistant for Federal-State Relations, saw his office in one year resolve over 2,000 complaints raised by the Governors of 50 states leading to a citation from the National Governors' Conference on July 24, 1968. Mr. Mazan, 47, was born in Center Rutland, Vermont. He served as State Civil Defense Director for Vermont from 1951 to 1957, and as assistant to thenGovernor Lee Emerson. He joined the Office of Emergency Preparedness in the Executive Office of the President in 1957 during the Eisenhower Administration. From 1957 until 1963, his assignment was State and local defense planning projects. In 1963, he became Special Assistant for Federal-State Relations.

In 1969, he was named Acting Director of liaison by the new Director of OEP, General George Lincoln.

Mazan served in the Army Air Force as a glider pilot from September 1942 until January 1946, participating in photographic and aerial reconnaissance missions.

He received a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Vermont in 1949. A charter member and past president of the Executive Office of the President Toastmasters' Club, he is past president of the Vermont State Society of the District of Columbia, and past president of the East Falls Church Civic Association.

He resides with his wife, the former Lee Duffy, and their four children, ages 6, 8, 10, and 12 at 4836 North 35th Road, Arlington, Virginia.

Senator Moss. I will call first on Senator Aiken.

STATEMENT OF HON. GEORGE D. AIKEN, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF VERMONT

Senator AIKEN. Well, Mr. Chairman, I have known Walter Mazan since he was civil defense director for Vermont, also during the years when he migrated to Michigan and then back to Washington where he has been recently. Everything he has undertaken to do, he has done well. I don't think I can say any more than that about anyone, and you certainly won't make any mistake in approving him for the position for which he is now designated.

Senator Moss. Thank you very much, Senator. We are most happy to have your recommendation of Mr. Mazan, and we respect your judgment very highly in this committee. And we will be happy to excuse you because we know you have to run, unless-Senator Cotton, you have any questions of the Senator?

do

Senator COTTON. No.

Senator AIKEN. If you will excuse me, I will go and attend two other 10 o'clock committee meetings.

Senator Moss. Thank you very much, Senator. Now I'd like to hear from Senator Prouty.

STATMENT OF HON. WINSTON PROUTY, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF VERMONT

Senator PROUTY. I am very happy to join with my colleagues in introducing Walter Mazan to the members of this committee. While I would never be one to underestimate the benefits of a Vermont upbringing, I commend Mr. Mazan to you, not because he is from the Green Mountain State, but because he is superbly qualified for the position of Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs of the Department of Transportation to which he has been nominated by President Nixon. As you are aware, Mr. Mazan is now the Acting Director of Liaison at the Office of Emergency Preparedness in the Executive Office of the President. From 1951 to 1957, he served very ably as State Civil Defense Director of Vermont. His service to the State was of such quality

Senator COTTON. Excuse me, Senator, but you, as a member of this committee, should be well aware of the imperfections of our sound system. Would you just turn the microphone toward you, because I don't think the folks back there can hear you.

Senator PROUTY. Thank you. Is this better?

His service to the State was of such quality that Mr. Mazan was appointed to the Office of Emergency Preparedness. From the time he joined OEP until 1963, his assignment was State and local defense planning projects. In 1963, he became special assistant for FederalState relations, and early this year he was named Acting Director of Liaison of the OEP.

His intimate knowledge of Federal-State relations gained in the years of public service, will be a great asset to the Department of Transportation. I commend him to you as a man ideally suited to handle the intricacies of coordination and liaison attendant to an Assistant Secretary of the Department of Transportation.

Senator COTTON. I have one question I'd like to ask of the Senator.

The Department of Transportation sent up this biographical sketch, and they say Mr. Mazan of Virginia. And he has the whole Vermont delegation here, and, as a neighbor in New Hampshire, can we establish the fact that he is from Vermont?

Senator PROUTY. He may have residence in Virginia, at the present time, but once a Vermonter, always a Vermonter.

Senator Moss. To rectify the mistake, I see the nomination report itself does characterize Mr. Mazan as being from Vermont.

We are pleased to have you, Senator Prouty, as a valued member of this committee, come to speak in behalf of the nominee, Mr. Mazan, and we know that you comprehend very well what the needs are, what the requirements are for an individual to fill this position, and to have you speak in behalf of Mr. Mazan gives us confidence in the nominee.

I'd like to hear also from Congressman Stafford, the former Governor of Vermont; if you would like to speak for a moment in behalf of the nominee.

STATEMENT OF HON. ROBERT T. STAFFORD, U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE STATE OF VERMONT

Congressman STAFFORD. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am privileged to be here and to join my colleagues from Vermont in seconding the nomination of Walter Mazan to be Assistant Secretary of the Department of Transportation for Public Affairs.

I'd like to say that since Mr. Mazan comes from the same hometown I do, and was born there, as was I, I can assure this committee he is a native Vermonter, currently on loan to Virginia, while he undertakes his Federal responsibilities.

During the time I had the privilege to serve Vermont as its Governor, Walter Mazan was carrying out his assignment in the Office of Emergency Preparedness, working with State and local planning projects. I had particular opportunity then to be in contact with him and to know that he could handle an important job efficiently and very well.

So I have no hesitation in saying that I join the Senators in hoping that this committee will confirm his nomination.

Senator Moss. Thank you very much, Congressman Stafford. As a hometown boy, you certainly should know the nominee very well and also, your service with him when you were serving as Governor of your State, and we are pleased to have your recommendation. There doesn't seem to be any difference of opinion among the delegation from Vermont.

Mr. Mazan, your financial statement has been filed with the committee and will be of record here for any who care to examine it. The committee will examine it carefully. It is our policy not to discuss that openly. If we feel there are parts of it that should be discussed with you, we will ask you to come into executive session; although it's an official record, and any person who has reason to see it is granted that privilege of seeing it.

Senator COTTON. I would like to say to you, Mr. Chairman, that apparently this gentleman has as pure a record as anyone I have seen before this committee. It says he owns no stocks of any kind, and therefore, it would be hard to find a conflict of interest. You frugal

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Vermonters must put your money in some bank. You own a homeso perhaps you have some tucked away in the cellar or under the hearthstones.

Certainly no one could find any flaws in this report.

Senator Moss. I guess we are not likely to find much conflict of interest, and I am glad to have my colleague from New England make that comment about the penchant of New Englanders to be frugal with their money.

Senator COTTON. I just said Vermonters.

Senator Moss. I apologize for expanding the area.

Mr. Mazan, we'd be glad to hear from you now, anything you would care to say.

One question I might ask in advance, since we have your biography and I don't think there is much need to repeat that, unless you care to emphasize that part of it, is perhaps what you envisioned this assignment to which you have been nominated, this position, what are the outlines of it, what are the duties, what do you expect to accomplish if you receive confirmation?

STATEMENT OF WALTER L. MAZAN, NOMINEE FOR ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Mr. MAZAN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I want to thank Senator Aiken, Senator Prouty, and Congressman Stafford for their kind statements in my behalf.

It is a pleasure for me to appear before the committee. I have a short prepared statement showing the duties of this relatively new post. (The statement follows:)

Thank you Mr. Chairman. I would also like to thank Senator Aiken, Senator Prouty and Congressman Stafford for their kind statements in my behalf.

It is a great honor for me to appear before this committee today. I accept the nomination of the President (to be Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs in the Department of Transportation) with a sense of awe and responsibility. I have served for 12 years in the civil service of the country and I know well the importance of the work which I will be called upon to perform.

As the assistant secretary for public affairs it would be my responsibility to present the thoughts, policies and programs of the Department of Transportation to the Congress and to the Public. As such I look forward to working with this committee in the future. I want to assure you that you can expect and will receive honesty and candor from me and my office.

In a relatively new department incorporating diverse operating administrations, I see my job as one of presenting a cogent cohesive public posture. In other words I want the Department to speak with one voice and to say the same thing in dealing with you and the public. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS

The Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs is the principal staff advisor to the Secretary on external relationships of the Department in promoting an understanding of national transportation needs, a cooperative approach by all interests concerned to the satisfaction of those needs, and support of Department policies, programs, and services in the interest of safety and efficiency in transportation. In carrying out his responsibilities, the Assistant Secretary exercises executive direction over the following elements of the Office of the Secretary, which, together with his immediate staff, comprise the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs:

Office of Congressional Relations.

Office of Industry and Labor Liaison.
Office of Government Relations.
Office of Information.

Mr. MAZAN. The job involves the total coordination of the public affairs program for the Department of Transportation.

As you know, we have seven large administrations in the Department requiring a coordinated effort in speaking generally as one voice in all matters dealing with Congress, the public, the consumer, industry, and labor.

My objective is to attempt to consolidate or coordinate these various elements so that we can all provide the proper, honest, open and candid information to Members of the Congress, to the public, to the consumer, because transportation is becoming a public service as much as welfare has been.

So my objective is to attempt to speak with one voice, as nearly as possible, in as large a department as we have, with as many diverse elements in attempting to achieve an integrated and balanced transportation system.

As you know, we have created a new Assistant Secretary for Urban Systems and Environment, in order to relate the environmental factors with the various modes of transportation. We are looking forward to a sort of intermodal type of coordination so that we will be able to provide with one voice the necessary information for the total Department.

Senator Moss. Is it the objective of the Department of Transportation, insofar as possible, to work out a unified and integrated plan for transportation in this country, and you are going to attempt to make that clear to the public, to this Congress and to the public generally, as to what the overall integrated plans are, is that what you are saying?

Mr. MAZAN. Yes, sir. As you recall, there have been many separate distinct plans dealing with the separate parts of transportationaviation, highways, mass transit, and so forth. We are considering, and have had some discussions already, in an attempt to achieve a balanced system of transportation.

We feel, if you build an airport, you can get the passengers down on the ground, but you still have to get them home. We are concerned about the environmental factors, the impact of the airport and its other related activities on the people that live in the general area.

We need to consider highways in relationship to airports as well as rapid transit systems. And we look at it as another public service to the consumer.

We are adding in one of our Assistant Secretary's areas, the function of safety, with research and technology in safety because we are concerned about the safety matters in transportation.

Generally, Mr. Chairman, that is our objective. We are a young department, as you know. We are just beginning to crawl. We hope we will move a little faster in years to come, and we look forward to a challenging opportunity to attempt to accomplish this with your guidance and support, and with information provided for you and to you with openness and candor and honesty as often as we can.

Senator Moss. Thank you. I am pleased to have you express it in that way.

In my own opinion, one of the problems we have, and have not yet fully solved, is the fact that we have rather fiercely competing types of transportation and each has an inclination to go its own way regardless of how it dovetails with, complements, or overlaps other types of trans