A long-term solution for transportation funding is still needed. U.S. roads, bridges and highway infrastructure are in great need of repair. Pending a solution, the infrastructure continues to crumble all around us. This will start a wave of negative impact, beginning with transporting carriers, back to the manufacturers and eventually drowning customers in an unstable product market and transportation costs.
As the 33rd short-term extension expired on July 31st, the House of Representatives and Senate began frantically developing solutions to the looming deadline. As a result, by the 15th of July both the House and the Senate had approved their version of solutions. The House approved a five-month extension, H.R.3038. It was said that this will allow lawmakers to combine their efforts and reach an agreement for a long-term spending bill by December 18th. Meanwhile, in the Senate, approval of their own multi-year transportation bill, S.1732 has been granted.
The House did not progress further, aside from passing the short-term extension. However, the Senate continued with more plausible options for a long-term spending bill. Senate majority Leader Mitch McConnell stated that he was closing in on a long-term transportation agreement with a top Democrat—Senator Barbara Boxer—with a little over a week left before the January 31st deadline. The McConnell-Boxer bill made its debut just an hour before a scheduled floor vote and it was voted to not be reviewed at the time.
The morning after debuting a six-year bill to reauthorize surface transportation programs for infrastructure investment and safety, the Senate had voted to allow talks to begin on this new bill. Amendments would begin to filter in as lawmakers had the time to read through the massive bill.
With only a day left, the Senate passed the long-term transportation bill and the deadline was met; however, House lawmakers had already recessed for their August break. As a result, the Senate’s long-term transportation spending bill will hang in the balance until is goes up for consideration during the fall session.
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