$14 billion for Highway Funding gets an OK from Congress
Posted by Karen Thomas on Fri, Jul 31, 2009 @ 12:18 AM
Highway funding passed in a jiffy. With the August recess fast approaching on Capital Hill, Congress beat the vacation clock and passed emergency legislation that uses $14 billion from the general treasury, which will go towards unemployment benefits and highway projects.
The Ways and Means Committee reported, "With overwhelming bipartisan support, the House of Representatives today passed H.R. 3357 by a vote of 363-68. The legislation, sponsored by Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), would keep the Highway Trust Fund solvent through the end of fiscal year 2009 by transferring $7 billion from the General Fund to the Highway Account of the Highway Trust Fund to meet an expected shortfall."
"This bipartisan bill will provide the necessary funds to keep important transportation initiatives operating in states across the country and should keep the Highway Trust Fund fully funded through 2009," said Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee Chairman John Lewis (D-GA). "Our nation's roads are the heart of our system of transportation. We have one of the best highway systems in the world. We need to do all we can to protect the resources set aside to strengthen and maintain that system."
Next up - the Senate must vote to approve (or not) the highway funding bill.