Laney specializes in corporate and banking law. Bush appointed him as a Texas Department of Transportation Commissioner in ’95. As a Bush transportation point man, Laney lashed out in 2000 against federal rules that will slash federal highway funds to Texas cities that flunk federal air standards and fail to come up with credible plans to clean up their acts. Laney said such “draconian” measures could create more traffic jams that would pollute the air even more.