With a month and a half
left on the last temporary extension of Highway Trust Fund legislation, the
House passed another three month extension measure Wednesday, April 18,
assuring funding for ongoing projects at least through September 30. What
prompted Congressmen, who have traditionally waited until just a day or two
before highway funding expires to pass these band aid measures, to push this
bill through a month and a half before it is needed?
There is a double barreled
answer to that question. First, Republicans in the House inserted a mandate for
construction of the controversial Keystone XL tar sands crude oil pipeline into
the measure, directly challenging President Obama’s threat to veto any such
legislation before state and federal permit processes have been completed. In
other words, they are calling the President’s bluff. Second, and a more hopeful
note, is that with another five or six weeks remaining for conference committee
negotiations, the bill might be a vehicle for some compromise, longer term Highway
Trust Fund measure to emerge from conference committee negotiations respecting
the Senate’s already passed two year, $109 billion bill.
California Senator
Barbara Boxer, who serves as chairman of the Senate Environment and Public
Works Committee, said this following the 293-127 vote on the three month House
transportation extension: “The fact that the House voted to take a step forward
on a surface transportation bill is encouraging – as long as they follow
through and immediately appoint conferees so that Congress can complete its
work and get a bill to the President’s desk.” Maybe – just maybe – our elected
officials are now ready to set aside partisan campaign year bickering just long
enough to actually take some positive action towards fixing out crumbling
infrastructure and putting construction tradespeople across the nation back to
work.
