Senate to Consider Transportation Funding Bills Next Week

As reported last week, the Senate considered, but was unable to set up, a final vote on a FY 2012 “minibus” appropriations package. However, after securing a unanimous consent agreement, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced that a vote on final passage of the appropriations bill is scheduled for Nov. 1.  The "minibus" includes FY 2012 appropriations bills for the Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture and Commerce/Justice/Science.  The Senate voted on several amendments to the package last week.  Next week, under the unanimous consent agreement, the Senate will vote on additional amendments prior to a vote on final passage. AGC has been closely monitoring the “minibus” debate to prevent any anti-construction industry amendments from being offered or voted on. In addition to the “minibus”, the Senate may vote on another round of stimulus infrastructure funding.  The stand-alone bill that was part of President Obama’s “America’s Jobs Act” would provide $27 billion for highways, $9 billion for transit, $4 billion for high-speed rail and $10 billion for a National Infrastructure Bank.  The bill will likely fail due to bipartisan opposition to further stimulus spending and a growing focus on a multiyear reauthorization of transportation programs.  There is a growing bipartisan consensus that a multi-year surface transportation reauthorization would be preferable to another one year stimulus. Portions of the surface transportation reauthorization will be marked up in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Nov. 9. For more information, please contact Sean O’Neill at (202) 547-8892 or oneills@agc.org.