One-man filibuster shuts down federal Highway Trust Fund

GOP Senator Jim Bunning

Vilas Bhuchar, Mar 01, 10.

Senator Jim Bunning’s (R-KY) threatened a quasi-shutdown of U.S. DOT operations by objecting to a 30-day extension of a 2005 transportation law before it officially expired at midnight on Sunday, according to Streetsblog New York City.

Democratic senators were trying to secure the 30-day extension in response to House members joining transportation committee chairman Jim Oberstar (D-MN) in raising objections to a 10-month extension of existing federal transportation law, according to the story. However, Bunning objected to the 30-day extension, which “also would ensure continued payment of federal unemployment benefits,” notes the story.

Furthermore, when Democrat Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon pleaded with Bunning to drop his objection, the Kentucky senator responded by saying, “Tough sh-t,” according to Politico.

Bunning held his ground into the late hours of Thursday night, and the federal Highway Trust Fund was in effect shut down first thing this morning. The shutdown is resulting in a suspension of all payments to state transportation departments and will impact thousands of U.S. DOT employees, according to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Journal:

The shutdown is also having an effect on thousands of U.S. Department of Transportation employees whose salaries are paid from the Highway Trust Fund. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood issued a statement early this morning that U.S. DOT will furlough nearly 2,000 employees without pay today, temporarily shutting down highway construction projects as well as FHWA’s administrative functions.

“As American families are struggling in tough economic times, I am keenly disappointed that political games are putting a stop to important construction projects around the country,” LaHood said. “This means that construction workers will be sent home from job sites because federal inspectors must be furloughed.”

LaHood also added, on his blog this morning, that the shutdown of the federal Highway Trust Fund has far-reaching implications:

Now, the Highway Trust Fund reaches much further than its name indicates. It supports all of America’s surface transportation—highways, bridges, transit, safety inspections, and our efforts to promote seat belt use and to fight impaired and distracted driving.

This doesn’t mean we’ll just have to pull a few PSAs from evening television programs. It means federal inspectors will be removed from critical construction projects, forcing transportation work on federal lands to halt abruptly.

This affects people and communities across the nation. It puts a stop to bridge construction and stream rehabilitation in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho. Resurfacing of the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi will be placed on hold. And replacement of the Humpback Bridge on the George Washington Parkway in Virginia will just have to wait.

Finally, Senate Democrats unveiled a $150 billion plan today to reinstate unemployment benefits that expired yesterday because of Bunning’s filibuster, according to Business Week.

(Photo credit: U.S. Senator Jim Bunning, Kentucky)