In The News

LaHood's nomination moving to Senate; Dorgan wants Mexico truck project ended

WASHINGTON — The nomination of Rep. Ray LaHood to become the next Secretary of Transportation will be sent to the Senate this afternoon under unanimous consent.

Even though the hearing was continuing as the clock neared 4 p.m. here, Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., noted that the Senate wanted to get all of the cabinet members approved by 4:30 p.m. Washington time and asked permission of the ranking Republican member Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, to send LaHood's name on over to the full Senate.

No one objected to Rockefeller's suggestion.

Rockefeller noted that the confirmation hearing had been harmonious in both the comments made by committee members and by LaHood.

Earlier in the hearing, Sen. Byron Dorgan, D.-N.D., said  he would expect the Department of Transportation to halt the Cross Border Demonstration Project within two months.

Dorgan spent virtually all of his allotted time to make a statement talking about the pilot project.

Calling the previous DOT administration “arrogant,” Dorgan told LaHood that Congress had made it clear it wanted the project stopped, but noted how the DOT under former Secretary Mary E. Peters had ignored Congress’ directive.

Dorgan noted that LaHood himself had expressed opposition to the project when he was a representative from Illinois.

Dorgan pointed out that one of the requirements of the project was that all Mexican drivers coming into the U.S. could communicate in English.

“They would hold up a traffic sign and if the driver could tell them in Spanish what it said, that meant the driver knew English,” Dorgan said.