Congress Passes Another Extension of Highway Bill

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lthough Congressional negotiators narrowed their differences on Thursday over how much to spend on a new six-year highway and mass transit bill, it passed a fifth temporary extension of the old plan, which expired in September last year, news services reported.

The current extension, which maintains funding at levels set in that $218 billion plan, runs out at the end of July. Under the new stopgap measure, highway programs would continue to be funded through Sept. 24.

The original Senate-passed bill called for $318 billion in spending. Earlier this week, Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) proposed a compromise figure of $301 billion, with $289 billion in guaranteed spending.

The House proposed spending almost $299 billion on a new bill. The actual spending under that proposal would be nearly $284 billion after the voiding of some $15 billion in contracts that have not been carried out, the Associated Press reported.

Senate negotiators agreed to consider the House offer over the six-week summer recess that begins at the end of this week, Bloomberg said.

The White House for months has threatened to veto any bill that exceeded $256 billion, stressing the need to control the rising federal budget deficit.