Norman Yoshio Mineta Biography

Norman Yoshio Mineta

The lone Democrat appointed to Bush's cabinet, Mineta was offered the same job in the Clinton administration, but passed so he could continue as chairman of the House Public Works and Transportation Committee. He served for 20 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. When he retired in 1995, he became senior vice president in the Transportation and Services Division of Lockheed Martin. In July 2000, he became President Clinton's secretary of commerce. When he was 10 years old, Mineta and his family were sent to a Japanese-American internment camp. As a congressman, he sponsored a bill to compensate internees. The legislation passed, and former internees were paid $20,000.