LaHood to step down as transportation secretary

— U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, one of two Republicans to serve in President Barack Obama’s cabinet, said he is stepping down.

LaHood, 67, announced his plan in a meeting with top staff at the Transportation Department’s headquarters in Washington, saying he’ll stay for a few months until a successor is confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

“As I look back on the past four years, I am proud of what we have accomplished together in so many important areas,” LaHood said Tuesday in an e-mailed statement.

The former Illinois representative’s future had been unclear as Obama assembles other Cabinet members for his second term. LaHood said at a Jan. 21 party after Obama’s inauguration that he would be “sticking around for a while,” without specifying how long.

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