Congress split on 18-month extension

Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Ranking Republican Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) indicated their support for an 18-month extension of authorization for the federal highway and transit programs, which expire on Sept. 30, 2009.

The EPW Committee leaders made their comments to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood during a committee hearing on the status of stimulus-funded transportation projects. LaHood last week made a surprise announcement that the administration favors passing a short-term extension of authority for the transportation programs and using that legislation to provide additional revenue for the Highway Trust Fund to ensure that sufficient revenue is available for states to pay for ongoing highway and transit construction projects. Senators Boxer and Inhofe both indicated, however, that they would not support the administration’s additional recommendation to include some of its policy objectives in the short-term extension.

The bipartisan leadership of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee said they do not favor the short-term extension and will continue to work to enact a six-year authorization. The committee leaders indicted that a short-term extension would undermine the effort to create jobs and promote long-term economic growth that has resulted from the stimulus funding.