The Bond Buyer
Friday, January 27, 2012
By Kyle Glazier
WASHINGTON — A day after Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood stunned the transportation community by saying it is “highly unlikely” Congress will pass a long-term reauthorization bill to fund highway and transit programs this year, lawmakers and industry lobbyists vowed to keep pushing for such legislation despite considerable obstacles.
Speaking at a meeting of the Transportation Research Board here on Wednesday, LaHood doubted lawmakers would be able to pass the first multi-year bill funding the nation’s surface transportation system since the 2005 highway and transit authorization bill, known as SAFETEA-LU, expired on Sept. 30, 2009.
Congress has since passed eight extensions to the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, the latest of which will expire on March 31.
LaHood’s grim prediction for the legislation — which transportation industry lobbyists maintain is crucial to creating much-needed jobs and maintaining American infrastructure — stems from the contentious partisan atmosphere of a pre-election session and significant differences between House and Senate proposals... FULL ARTICLE
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Fri, January 27, 2012
by John Cox