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Another Cabinet official steps down
NEW YORK TIMES
Ray LaHood, the former Republican congressman from Illinois who has run the nation's Transportation Department under President Barack Obama, will not serve a second term, he told department employees in a letter Tuesday.
"I've told President Obama, and I've told many of you, that this is the best job I've ever had. I'm grateful to have the opportunity to work with all of you," LaHood wrote.
He cited the department's efforts to curb distracted driving and to increase the efficiency of automobiles by raising emissions standards.
As transportation secretary, LaHood was at the center of efforts to reduce fatigue among pilots and called for greater investment in high-speed rail. He also pushed for large fines against Toyota for safety problems and for a new transportation bill in Congress.
LaHood's decision makes him the latest in a series of members of the president's original Cabinet to announce their departure in the past several weeks.
In a statement, Obama praised LaHood as a public servant more interested in practical solutions than in partisan politics.
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