Agreement reached on short term transportation bill

“Clean” bill with no cuts

David Crossley, Sep 12, 11.

House and Senate leaders have reached a deal that averts a looming shutdown of federal highway and aviation programs, a key GOP lawmaker said yesterday, according to an Associated Press story in Boston.com:

The agreement clears the way for passage next week of a single, short-term bill that extends operating authority for the Federal Aviation Administration through the end of January and highway and transit assistance programs through the end of March, said Representative John Mica of Florida, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, in an interview.

Republicans have agreed not to include any spending cuts or contentious policy provisions in the bill, Mica said.

In exchange, Senate Democrats have made concessions involving some of the more difficult issues that been holding up passage of a long-term funding bill for the FAA, Mica said. He declined to elaborate on what those concessions entail.

“This wouldn’t be done if there weren’t terms that satisfied both sides,’’ Mica said. “It’s a positive step.’’

Republicans plan to bring a bipartisan bill extending both programs to the House floor for a vote on Tuesday or Wednesday, a House GOP leadership said. The aide, who was not authorized to speak publicly, asked not to be named. MORE