House looking at 3-month transportation extension

SAFETEA-LU expires this month

Steve Hawley, Sep 11, 09.

Several high-ranking House members, realizing that they cannot pass a new transportation bill by the end of the month, are now hoping to pass a three-month extension of the current law, according to The Hill. However, the House members still oppose the 18-month extension proposed by the Obama administration and supported by the Senate.

With Congress focused intently on healthcare reform, the proposed transportation bill has been all but abandoned. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has not yet marked up the bill, which was first proposed in June, and the Ways and Means Committee has not come up with a revenue source yet.

The three-month extension is supported by Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon, one of the top lawmakers on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, although it is opposed by Rep. James Oberstar of Minnesota, who is still advocating for a new transportation bill sometime this month.

Oberstar’s bill would provide more money for mass transit, as well as $50 billion for high-speed rail over the next five years.

The current law, SAFETEA-LU, expires at the end of the month. The Senate is preparing to vote on the 18-month extension in two to three weeks.