Congress Considers 2-Month Funding Patch
This story appears in the May 25 print edition of Transport Topics.
The Senate was expected to consider a House-passed two-month transportation funding extension after Transport Topics went to press last week.
The two-month patch would authorize funding for the Highway Trust Fund that is otherwise set to expire May 31. The White House expressed support for the measure.
On May 19, the House reported to the Senate the short-term extension by a vote of 387-35.
Leaders from both parties said they were hopeful Congress would be able to advance a multiyear bill before the patch expires in July.
“I just hope that this is the last patch,” Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune
(R-S.D.) said. Delaware Democrat Tom Carper, a senior transportation authorizer, added: “We need to find a long-term solution that we can agree on to fix this problem, and we need to do it this summer.”
Earlier this year, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx indicated the trust fund would be able to operate through July before the account falls low on funding. After July, Congress would be required to transfer funds into the trust fund to keep it operable. The Senate Environment and Public Works panel plans to mark up a six-year highway bill in July.
Since 2008, Congress has approved more than $65 billion in transfers to prevent the highway fund’s collapse.
