Senate Bill Moves Forward While House End Game is Still in Question

Last night, the Senate finally reached a unanimous consent agreement that limits the number of amendments that can be offered to the S. 1813, the “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act” (MAP-21), its two-year $109 billion authorization. The Senate has now started the process of debating and voting on approximately 30 amendments to MAP-21; many of the amendments are not germane to the bill.As of this afternoon, the Senate has disposed of seven amendments and agreed to waive all points of order under the Budget Act that might be made against the bill.  Thus far, the Senate defeated amendments that would allow for expanded drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf, delay Environmental Protection Agency rules on industrial boiler emissions and would require the Office of Management and Budget to find savings in duplicative federal programs.  In addition, the two amendments dealing with construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline were defeated.  The Senate adjourned this afternoon and will finish consideration of the amendments next week.  There are four amendments that AGC is urging Senators to vote against.  Three would devolve the federal-aid highway program to the states and one would expand Buy American requirements. In the House, AGC has participated in several high level meetings this week with Transportation and Infrastructure Committee staff and Republican leadership staff. There remains a strong desire to pass a multiyear reauthorization bill.  House leaders have conceded that changes need to be made to the original bill – H.R. 7 – as it was reported to the Rules Committee.  The most notable change is that dedicated funding from the Highway Trust Fund to the Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund has been restored.  Republican leaders are in the process of “re-whipping” members of their conference in order to get to the 218 votes needed to pass a bill on the floor.  As we have reported before, this is not an easy task because few, if any, Democrats will support any House package.  If Republican leadership falls short of the necessary vote for passage, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has indicated that the House taking up the Senate passed reauthorization bill is an option.  We urge all members to visit our Make Transportation Job #1 site and contact their representatives in their districts next week to urge them to support the H.R. 7, the House five-year reauthorization bill. Highway and transit program authorization expires on March 31, 2012. As with the last deadline, not only will spending authorization end but authorization to collect the federal motor fuels tax on gasoline and diesel will end as well. Both the House and the Senate have said they do not want to approve another short-term extension and are therefore focused on enacting a longer term measure before the March 31 deadline. For more information, please contact Sean O’Neill at (202) 547-8892 oroneills@agc.org.