Leadership of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will be handed to David Strickland, a lawyer currently serving as senior counsel to the Senate Commerce Committee, according to an official in the Obama administration.

Strickland's nomination will require Senate confirmation. If approved for the position, Strickland will take the place of acting administrator Ron Medford. The original administration appointee, Charles Hurley, removed his name from consideration in the face of criticism from environmentalists.

The NHTSA, which is part of the Department of Transportation, is responsible for setting national standards of auto safety, administering recalls for defective parts, and putting in place a national increase in fuel standards to 35.5 mpg in 2016.

Earlier in 2009, the agency received considerable criticism for the manner in which it handled the government's popular "cash for clunkers" program. Dealers complained that the agency failed to reimburse them within the program's 10-day limit and that overall the program was plagued by computer-created inefficiencies and bogus rejection of valid claims.

In response, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood upgraded the claims computer systems and increased personnel working on the previously understaffed program. The incident, however, created a negative opinion of the NHTSA's effectiveness in the minds of many. Jay Rockefeller, chairman of the Commerce Committee said, "The [NHTSA] is in need of strong leadership, and David is an outstanding selection."