WASHINGTON - Call him the reluctant road warrior.

After 18 years on the House aviation subcommittee, Oregon Rep. Peter DeFazio is trading his political airman's wings for a hard hat.

The veteran congressman has given up his seat as senior Democrat on the aviation panel to become the top Democrat on the subcommittee for highways, transit and pipelines, also part of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

The switch makes DeFazio one of the committee's "Big Four" members responsible for trying to win passage of a highway bill that could pump at least $2.5 billion into the Oregon economy.

The move also makes DeFazio the first Oregon member of Congress to occupy a prime spot on a major spending bill since legendary Sen. Mark Hatfield, R-Ore., retired in 1997 as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

DeFazio, who has earned a reputation as one of the leading aviation experts in the House, said he did not make the switch lightly - and vowed to keep up his interest in airplane safety and other aviation issues.

But for the next two years, consider him a road warrior.

"I've got to take the surface slot," DeFazio said in an interview with The Associated Press. "That's going to mean real money for our state and real jobs."

The highway bill took its first step last week on what is likely to be a long journey, as DeFazio and three other House members put forth a six-year, $284 billion package for roads and public transit systems.

The House bill this year has the advantage of being in sync with the White House, which last year threatened to veto road bills officials said were too costly. President Bush's budget proposal, released Feb. 2, indicated support for the $284 billion figure.

But the Senate is still pushing for a higher number it says is necessary to cope with the nation's deteriorating infrastructure.

Whatever number ultimately is approved, Oregon deserves as big a share as it can get, DeFazio said, calling the state's transportation problems urgent. Oregon would have received about $2.5 billion under a House bill approved last year.

"There's a demonstrated need for road improvements, and we need to help reduce (chronically high) unemployment in our state," he said.

Topping his priority list is Interstate 5, which runs all the way through the state and connects Canada to Mexico. The road is one of the busiest trade routes in the nation, yet is beginning to show wear and tear - a problem that could become critical if not addressed, DeFazio said.

Oregon faces a $4 billion backlog in repairs and reconstruction on its roads and bridges, DeFazio said. While the state has approved $2.5 billion in bonds for highway and bridge improvements, the federal government needs to do its part to help Oregon and its crumbling roads and bridges, he said.

DeFazio declined to predict exactly how much money he will able to bring in to Oregon in his new role, but said there is "no doubt" he will get some extra money for the state.

"The fact I'll be one of four people in the room on the House side ... is crucial for Oregon," he said.

Bill Lunch, a political scientist at Oregon State University, said DeFazio has proven himself to be politically astute, and has good relations with Transportation Committee Chairman Don Young, R-Alaska, and other Republicans.

Still, as a Democrat in a Republican-dominated Congress, DeFazio faces an uphill fight, Lunch said.

"The Republican leadership in the House has made it crystal clear they want to craft bills and pass them with Republican support exclusively," Lunch said, adding that for the most part, the strategy has worked. "I can't be optimistic for any Democrat to have very much influence in this session of Congress."

DeFazio, considered a fierce partisan in a political fight, agreed that Democrats are shut out on many key issues, but said transportation is not one of them. He has known and served with Young, the committee chairman, for many years, DeFazio said, and has a good relationship with Rep. Tom Petri, R-Wis., the chairman of the highway subcommittee.

Transportation "is probably the least partisan of all the committees" in the House, DeFazio said, repeating the adage that potholes and interstates don't belong to either party.

"We'll do well," he said. "And if I was in the majority we'd do even better."