Word out of Washington is that the House will look to pass a $5 billion Highway Trust Fund fix to correct a shortfall between now and Sept. 30, which is when SAFETEA-LU will expire.
The move goes along the lines of the recommended fix of the U.S. DOT, but is $2 billion more than what House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.) requested last week. The Senate has taken a completely different approach, passing a $26.8 billion infusion that will keep the trust fund safe until 2011.
According to DC.Streetsblog.org, a Democratic leadership aide said the highway trust fund money likely would come as part of a package that also would include must-pass aid for both the Federal Housing Administration and the fund that helps states pay unemployment benefits.
If the $5 billion deal passes the House it will move on to the Senate, where the dollar amount could be elevated before it adjourns for summer recess on Aug. 7.
In the meantime, FHWA Administrator Victor Mendez told state highway officials today what to expect if the Highway Trust Fund falls short in the coming weeks during a “no-surprises” discussion.
“Unless we shore up the trust fund, we will have no other choice than to pay the states less frequently for road and bridge repairs,” Mendez said in a conference call with lead officials from 38 states and the District of Columbia.
Mendez added that payments, currently made on a daily basis, could be made weekly or twice a month, depending upon the availability of funds.
