In The News

Congress poised to approve highway funding patch

It’s not the long-term highway bill that transportation needs, but Congress was on track Thursday to approve a bill to keep the Highway Trust Fund afloat through May 2015.

On Thursday, July 31, the last day the House and Senate were in session heading into the August recess, the House of Representatives voted to reject Senate amendments, thereby forcing the Senate to concede to the House’s eight-month, $10.8 billion extension.

At press time, the Senate had not yet voted on the House plan, but Senate leadership indicated that a vote was forthcoming. The Senate leaves for recess at the completion of Friday’s work day.

Transportation still lacks a long-term highway bill to replace MAP-21, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century, which is scheduled to expire Sept. 30.

Without at least a short-term fix in place by Aug. 1, the U.S. Department of Transportation was going to begin limiting money being paid out to states for road, bridge and transit projects.

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