President-elect Barack Obama tapped Republican Congressman Ray LaHood of Illinois as his choice for Transportation Secretary, according to news reports.

LaHood would have to hit the ground running: Obama has called for massive public works investments, in the short term for economic stimulus and in the longer term for rebuilding and modernizing transportation infrastructure.

LaHood, 63, is retiring this year after seven terms in Congress. He is a veteran of the House Appropriations Committee and is thus experienced in managing the federal purse. He also was the ranking member of the House Select Intelligence Oversight Panel.

He was elected in the historic 1994 class that brought the first Republican majority to Congress in almost 50 years, and was most recently re-elected in 2006 with more than 67 percent of the vote. Before running for Congress he served as an Illinois state legislator and chief of staff for House Minority Leader Robert Michel.

LaHood has a reputation as a deficit hawk and a political moderate who can work with both parties. He was the second Republican Obama named for his cabinet, after Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

"The President-elect has made an outstanding choice," said Norman Y. Mineta, who was transportation secretary from 2001-2006 and is honorary chairman of the American Highway Users Alliance. "Ray LaHood is one of the best public servants I know. He will be an outstanding secretary of transportation, and a terrific addition to the president's cabinet. He is a person of high integrity. Both sides of the aisle should be pleased with this choice."

Bill Graves, president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations, noted that in his time representing Illinois, LaHood led efforts to enhance the state's infrastructure, including the reconstruction of Interstate 74, expansion of U.S. Route 67, and completion of Route 336.