by Ben Husch
Late last week, the U.S. House of Representatives approved H.R. 4348 that extends authorization of the surface transportation program through September 30 and provides a path for the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline. Although the bill is not expected to be signed by the president, it opens the way for the House and Senate to form a conference committee to begin direct negotiations over a long-term reauthorization.
The main contention between the two chambers centers on funding, as the current gas tax rate of 18.4 cents per gallon will not provide enough revenue to maintain current spending in the coming years. The two chambers have very different proposals for increasing revenue. The Senate bill would authorize a number of transfers from other funds to the Highway Trust Fund while the House version would rely on royalties from future offshore oil and gas leases.
Many members of Congress see the movement toward a conference committee as a positive step. U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, however, is not as enthused, noting “I wish I could say we’ll get a transportation bill [in the next six months], but I know we won’t … not before the election.”
Comments