“I’m optimistic and hopeful that the spirit of compromise that has taken root in Washington over the last several days will endure,” he said. “We have a highway bill that’s due. I’ve spoken to the chairman of the Finance Committee [Max Baucus] and there are ways we can fund that.”
The current highway funding extension expires on Sept. 30, and currently on the Senate table is a two-year, $109 billion measure, which originally had a $12 billion shortfall. On Aug. 3, Transportation Watch reported that Baucus (D-Mont.) had found a way to fund the gap. However, after hearing the development one Roads & Bridges insider questioned where the money was coming from, and the Baucus camp was not going into any details.