Washington, DC | December 18, 2008 | www.adc.org | The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) welcomes President-Elect Barack Obama‘s nomination of Congressman Ray LaHood as Secretary of Transportation.
Congressman LaHood (R-IL), who is an Arab American of Lebanese origin, has been representing the 18^th District of Illinois (Central and Western Illinois) since 1995. He is currently serving his seventh term in Congress (but did not run for re-election) and is a member of the House Appropriation Committee. He is also a Ranking member of the Select Intelligence Oversight Panel and a member of the Subcommittee on Agricultural, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies.
ADC has had an extensive working relationship with the US Department of Transportation (DOT) since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
ADC has worked with DOT on several projects that have helped ensure the safety and security of our nation‘s air transportation system while at the same time protecting the civil rights of all passengers. Of note are several steps the DOT undertook in 2002 that helped curtail illegal profiling of airline passengers on the part of air carriers. ADC was pleased to have a close working relationship with former Secretary Norman Mineta and current Secretary Mary E. Peters and their fine staffs.
ADC President Mary Rose Oakar said, “We congratulate Ray on his nomination as the next Transportation Secretary and look forward to continuing, and improving upon, our work with the Department of Transportation.”