WASHINGTON — Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood said farewell Thursday and gave praise to his department after serving there for over four years.
Speaking at the National Press Club, he left a friendly reminder that bipartisan leadership has been and will continue to be crucial in repairing and improving America's infrastructure.
"This has been a once in a lifetime opportunity for truly bipartisan service," said LaHood, an Illinois Republican who served seven terms in the House of Representatives before joining the Obama administration.
Under LaHood's leadership, the Department of Transportation passed two long-term transportation bills, which allowed the DOT to spend $48 billion in a two-year period that led to creation of 65,000 jobs, according to the department. The most recent bill, passed in 2012, proved to be a dramatic fight with LaHood repeatedly wading into the fray to call for congressional action.
LaHood said he is proud of the DOT's latest $12 billion investment in high-speed rail, describing it as "a brand new national commitment" that will create jobs for Americans and improve the nation's infrastructure.
Despite this list of accomplishments, La Hood said American infrastructure still has vast room for improvement and still needs to become a national priority. He said he has "no regrets" pertaining to his term, but he did express frustration in watching other countries prosper from their developing new infrastructure.
"China built 85 airports this year," he said. "Those airports become economic engines."
Nevertheless, LaHood remains optimistic that the nation's future transportation initiatives will become a priority backed by strong executive support.
"The president believes in infrastructure because it puts Americans to work, because the country needs it and because we are no longer number one in infrastructure," he said. "I will say the president has a bold vision for funding."
LaHood passes the torch to Charlotte, N.C. mayor Anthony Foxx, who was been confirmed by the Senate Thursday as transportation secretary.
