Federico Peña was a member of the Clinton Cabinet, serving as the Secretary of Transportation from 1993 to 1997 and the Secretary of Energy from 1997 to 1998. He was the first Hispanic to serve in a presidential cabinet in the United States. Peña was born in Laredo, Texas and attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a degree in civil engineering. He was an advocate for public transportation and worked to improve the nation's infrastructure.