highway fund

Weeper of the House John Boehner’s “barn cleaning” continues in the House.

The TanMan could not get the long-term highway bill that is needed, but he did get the knuckleheads in the House to approve a short-term extension to give negotiators more time to negotiate the long-tern bill. The Highway Fund is set to run out of funds on Friday. House approves three-week highway bill. The Senate completed action on the bill today, and it heads to President Obama’s desk. Senate approves three-week highway bill.

Boehner’s House Passes Deadline Extension for Rail Safety System. The legislation, which would allow three more years for installation of positive train control, could prevent disruptions in service at the end of this year.

It took a rare Discharge Petition to bring it to a vote, but the House Votes Overwhelmingly to Reopen the Ex-Im Bank.  Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid says Senate Dems demand Ex-Im vote. “We should get this done this week.”

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In the end the Septuagenarian Ninja Turtle, Mitch McConnell, was forced to blink in his game of chicken with the Tea-Publican radicals in the House. The Wall Street Journal reports, Senate Passes Three-Month Highway Spending Bill:

The Senate cleared a three-month highway spending bill in a 91-4 vote that allows Congress to avoid a cutoff of transportation funds set to occur on Saturday and give lawmakers time to develop the sort of multiyear package they haven’t been able to pass in years.

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With the longer-term in mind, the Senate also passed by 65-34 a bill that would continue highway programs for six years. That measure would likely serve as the Senate’s opening volley in what are expected to be contentious negotiations with the House this fall, when lawmakers return from a recess.

This would be the same six year Senate bill that the House GOP leadership said would not be put to a vote in the House.

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Federal highway funding is about to expire on July 31, but Tea-Publicans in Congress are engaged in a game of chicken between the House and Senate GOP leadership, which may result in a loss of highway funds as Congress leaves town for its August recess.

The Senate has a bipartisan highway bill for six years of funding that includes new revenue sources, and an extension of the Export-Import Bank charter attached to it, something that House Tea-Publicans oppose. Senate highway bill overcomes procedural hurdle. Democratic co-sponsor Sen. Barbara Boxer says Senate will send highway bill to House. But the The House GOP leadership says it will not take up the Senate bill. McCarthy: House will not vote on Senate’s highway funding bill.

Upping the ante today, the House plans to approve a three-month highway spending bill on Wednesday and then leave town. House to vote on three-month highway bill:

The House plans to approve a three-month highway spending bill on Wednesday and then leave town, forcing the Senate to approve the short-term measure to prevent a lapse in funding.

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) discussed the decision with his conference at a closed door meeting on Tuesday before confirming the news to reporters.

“I want a long-term highway bill that is fully paid for,” Boehner said. “That has been the goal all year and that continues to be the goal.

“We’ve been trying to do this for four years. It’s time to get it across the finish line.”

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Congress agreed to a short-term extension of highway funding before it expired at the end of May, kicking the can down the road again, so to speak.

It was the 33rd short-term extension in recent years. The New York Times suggested that this will set up an epic battle over infrastructure later this summer.

Until Tea-Publicans agree that we need to raise taxes to pay for long overdue infrastructure improvements — something they are religiously opposed to — their tactic of robbing Peter to pay Paul (revenue neutral budgeting) will simply pit one interest against another, leading to gridlock, and sort-term extensions.

Nevertheless, The Hill reports, Senate Dems give GOP 45-day highway deadline:

Senate Democrats are giving Republicans 45 days to negotiate a long-term highway funding extension.

And while they aren’t ruling out supporting another short-term fix when funding runs out at the end of July, they suggest it will be difficult to get such a measure through the Senate.

“The bottom line is we’re asking them to meet our timetable. If they don’t meet this timetable, it will be very hard for us to do another short-term extension,” Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.), the third-ranking member of the Democratic leadership, told reporters Tuesday.

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