U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced on his "Fast Lane" blog this morning that he will not serve a second term as U.S. transportation secretary.
LaHood said he would remain in office until President Barack Obama can find a successor.
He also praised the "significant achievements" of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) over the past four years, including how the department helped "jumpstart the economy and put our fellow Americans back to work with $48 billion in transportation funding from the American Recovery and Investment Act of 2009, and awarded over $2.7 billion in TIGER grants to 130 transportation projects across the nation," according to the blog.
LaHood became the nation's 16th transportation secretary on Jan. 23, 2009. Prior to joining the USDOT, he served 14 years in the U.S House as a Republican representative from Illinois. During that time, LaHood was a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
To read LaHood's entire blog, click here.
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) this morning issued a statement commending LaHood for his service.
"Secretary LaHood brought passion, energy and a deep commitment to safety to his work at the Department of Transportation. Under his leadership, railroads have never been safer," said AAR President and Chief Executive Officer Ed Hamberger. "In addition, he understood the importance of freight rail to our nation’s economic vitality. We thank him for a job well done.”
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