Congress passes highway funding through summer

Congress passes highway funding through summer

Just in time for Memorial Day, Congress passed its 33rd short-term extension for funding highways and other transportation, lasting only until July 31. President Obama has said he would sign it. With a May 31 deadline, in the end there wasnêt time to discuss and pass the more permanent fix that everyone said they wanted.

Republicans wanted to extend funding through the end of the year, and thatês what they plan to propose before the current extension expires. Democrats donêt like that solution because they have sworn the summer extension would be the last short-term fix. The GOP has refused to consider raising the gas tax, which has paid for transportation funding in the past through the Highway Trust Fund. But the Trust Fund has fallen short of needed money for infrastructure for several years.