Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta will undergo major back surgery next week to relieve chronic pain, aides said Tuesday.

The surgery is scheduled Jan. 24 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and will last up to 18 hours. Mineta is not expected to leave the hospital until at least mid-February.
Deputy Secretary Michael Jackson and senior staff members will run the department while Mineta recovers, according to the Associated Press.
Mineta told transportation department officials Tuesday that he does not plan to quit.
He returned to the Transportation Department's headquarters Tuesday and gathered about 45 staffers to tell them about the pending surgery, thank them for two years of work and outline his priorities for the coming year. Among those are winning money for highway projects.

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