House Delays Work on Surface Transportation Bill until January While Senate Bill Moves Forward

House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) announced Nov. 29 that his committee will not take up surface transportation reauthorization legislation until late January or early February 2012. It had been anticipated that the T&I Committee would introduce its bill on Monday, Dec. 5 with the expectation that it would be considered by the full House before the end of the year. Those expectations were based on a recent announcement by Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) that a combined transportation and energy bill would be completed in the House this year. However, the number of “must pass” bills that need to be addressed in the House before the end of the year increased significantly when the “super committee” failed to agree on a deficit reduction package.  As a result, the House Leadership has determined that there is insufficient time to take up the transportation measure.  However, Chairman Mica remains optimistic that the transportation bill could be completed before the current short-term extension expires on March 31, 2012. Both Chairman Mica and Speaker Boehner have indicated their preference for  a five-year measure augmented by new Highway Trust Fund revenue. Speaker Boehner also said that revenue generated from oil and gas royalties tied to increased oil exploration both off shore and in Alaska will be directed to the Highway Trust Fund. This funding is not anticipated to be adequate to keep the program at current funding levels during the 5 year course of the reauthorization, so it will need to be augmented by an additional source of funding. However, no legislative language has yet been released. AGC continues to emphasize with the T&I Committee and House leadership the need to pass a multiyear transportation measure that at the very least maintains current funding levels. In the Senate, the Banking Committee is expected to take up the transit title of MAP-21, the Senate version of the transportation reauthorization legislation, before Congress recesses for the Christmas break. The Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, on a bipartisan 18-0 vote, passed its portion of the legislation earlier this month. In addition to the EPW and Banking Committees, the Commerce Committee must also address the safety components of the bill and the Finance Committee needs to address how the bill will be funded. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) has been working with the committee’s Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (Utah) to identify ways to provide sufficient Highway Trust Fund revenue to maintain current highway and transit funding levels until fiscal year 2014. For more information, please contact Brian Deery at (703) 837-5319 or deeryb@agc.org.