It may come as no surprise that the Illinois Congressman nominated to be Transportation Secretary grew up in Peoria, home to equipment giant Caterpillar Inc
Sources: CP staff; Office of Rep. Ray LaHood
It may come as no surprise that the Illinois Congressman nominated to be Transportation Secretary grew up in Peoria, home to equipment giant Caterpillar Inc. The 18th Congressional District of Illinois contains all or parts of 20 counties in central and western Illinois, and is a mixture of urban (Peoria, Springfield) and rural areas. The district contains some of the most productive farmland in the world and maintains a strong manufacturing base as well. It also contains all 11 of the counties that Abraham Lincoln represented during his one term in Congress, 1847Ò1849.
In recent years, LaHood has developed a close relationship with President-elect Obama and the man who will become his White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, becoming a key player on the House Appropriations Committee on behalf of the Illinois delegation. With a reputation as a deficit watchdog and moderate Republican, LaHood has not shied away from criticizing the Bush administration, or working with leaders of both political parties.