Obama Formally Nominates DOT, Labor Secretaries

President-elect Barack Obama Friday formally named Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.) to be his Transportation Secretary and Rep. Hilda Solis (D-Calif.) to be Secretary of Labor.

LaHood, 63, will preside over a department that is likely to be a key player in Obama’s economic infrastructure rebuilding plan, the Associated Press reported.

DOT includes the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and Federal Highway Administration, two key trucking agencies.

Solis is a Congressional Hispanic Caucus leader and is considered to be one of the most reliably pro-union voices in the House, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.

Solis, 51, becomes the third Latino member of Obama’s cabinet, the Times said.