Restore T.R.U.S.T.

TRANSPORTATION WEEKLY

UPDATE - SENATE PASSES REID BILL; HOUSE MAY AMEND

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2010 - 11:10 A.M.

The U.S. Senate has passed Majority Leader Reid's version of an initial stimulus/jobs bill by a vote of 70 to 28 after voting by 62 to 38 to waive all points of order under the Budget Act against the Reid bill.

The action on the bill (H.R. 2847) now turns to the House, where the path is not clear. The House Democratic leadership is leaning towards amending the Senate bill but has not yet decided what form that amendment will take, nor has the leadership decided whether the House will vote on H.R. 2847 and any possible amendments by the end of this week or next week. The House leadership also has not yet formally decided how to handle the violations of the House rule and statutory PAYGO budget rules caused by the Reid bill.

Either way, any House amendment or delay would make it impossible for H.R. 2847 to be signed into law by midnight on Sunday, February 28, which means a separate extension of Highway Trust Fund spending is require to keep programs running on Monday morning and to prevent possible furloughs at FHWA and FMCSA.

Earlier today, Reid's office sent all 100 Senate offices a "hotline" request announcing the Leader's intention to ask unanimous consent later today to take up an unrelated House bill (H.R. 1586) extending the Highway Trust Fund portions of the continuing resolution that is currently funding HTF programs, plus extensions of unemployment insurance, COBRA health benefits, the Medicare SGR' and a satellite TV provision until March 30. (Reid's request would move expiring provisions of the PATRIOT Act separately and extend them for one year.)

The House Rules Committee is expected to meet today to consider identical or very similar 30-day extension legislation for all those provisions that expire on February 28 except the PATRIOT Act.

Passing another short-term extension of the expiring February 28 programs, incluing HTF programs, would give the House and Senate more time to work on the terms of an extension of HTF programs until December 31, 2010. House T&I chairman Oberstar has been getting groups of House members to lobby the Speaker in favor of his approach to the treatment of FY 2010 funding under the Projects of Regional and National Significance and National Corridor Infrastructure programs (Oberstar wants to make the programs discretionary in 2010, while the Senate wants to return the money to states via formula in their FY 2009 shares, which would give a huge financial benefit to California and Illinois, and Oberstar's plan would return formerly earmarked account money (except PNRS and Corridors) to all apportioned formula programs, while the Senate bill would only give the money to the six "core" formula programs).