President Barack Obama is expected to nominate as early as today a Senate aide as the nation's top auto regulator -- a post that will have a critical impact on vehicle safety regulations, according to The Detroit News.

David L. Strickland, 41, is expected to be announced as Obama's pick to head the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, several officials said Monday.

As senior Democratic counsel to the Senate Commerce Committee since August 2001, Strickland played a major role in pressing environmental rules long fought by the U.S. auto industry. He also helped write auto safety legislation and the "Do Not Call" registry law.

The White House declined comment Monday, but did not dispute the Strickland nomination report. A spokeswoman for Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., also declined to comment. Strickland did not return messages.

The White House struggled to fill the job after its first nominee, Charles "Chuck" Hurley, withdrew in the spring under pressure from environmentalists. Senate confirmation is required.

David Kelly, who was NHTSA administrator until Jan. 20 under President George W. Bush, called Strickland, a Harvard University Law School graduate, "a solid choice."