Senate passes $265 billion highway bill; House is silent
As President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx warned that insolvency in the Highway Trust Fund would abort construction projects, the Senate passed a $265 billion transportation bill and the House did nothing. House Speaker John Boehner has said he is waiting to find funding before releasing a bill, according to The Hill.
The Senate bill keeps highway spending at current levels but does not address the coming bankruptcy of the Highway Trust Fund, predicted as soon as August. An earlier proposal by President Obama would fund transportation at $302 billion by closing corporate tax loopholes a nonstarter for Republicans.
The American Highway Users Alliance and the American Automobile Association both support the Senate bill. The AAA supports an increase in the gas tax, which has not risen since 1993. Because the gas tax has not changed, people are driving less and cars are more fuel-efficient, infrastructure costs exceed receipts by $20 billion a year.
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