Short-term highway extension may be way out for Congress

“In the short time we have available, it would not be possible to consider that bill”, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., told reporters Tuesday, adding that he would “probably” vote against the Senate measure.

But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been reluctant to pass the five-month bill.

The Senate’s bill attempted to make up the gap through a collection of funding sources, such as reducing dividends from Federal Reserve payouts, raising transportation security fees and selling off part of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, a non-starter for many lawmakers in both parties. The House has passed a version of the highway bill that does not include an Export-Import Bank provision, and House leaders are opposed to the Senate bill. House leaders have canceled votes Thursday and are now planning to leave town early to start their August recess.

But Senate pressed ahead with its mult-year approach, clearing another procedural vote Monday night that sets up at least two more days of debate that could end in a tense standoff with the House. House Speaker John Boehner has already acknowledged a short-term extension of current funding levels will probably be needed – which would serve only to postpone that fight until the end of the year, when it could coincide with a separate fight over raising the federal debt ceiling.

Authority for federal highway aid payments to states will expire at 11 p.m. Friday (St. Louis time) without action.

“No member of this body should engage in ad hominem attacks directed at any member of this body, be they a Republican or be they a Democrat”, Cruz said.

It does not include the Senate’s language reviving the Export-Import Bank, a federal agency that underwrites loans to help foreign customers buy U.S. goods. If you find anything in DC VELOCITY you feel is inaccurate or warrants further explanation, please?Subject=Feedback -: “Shuster introduces bill for three-month extension of transport funding law”>contact Chief Editor David Maloney.

Supporters in the business community say the bank is necessary for U.S. competitiveness, but conservatives say it amounts to corporate welfare. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy has “staked out pretty clearly that he does not want to see Ex-Im renewed and he’s the guy that schedules stuff to come to the floor”, Salmon said. “We can still do it while the House is still here”, Inhofe said.

“The assumption is that it will come back; the Senate will find a way to get Ex-Im over to the House”, Representative Carlos Curbelo, a Florida Republican, said in an interview in the U.S. Capitol.

Even so, some House Republicans remained hopeful Tuesday that it will be reauthorized.

According to the Congressional Budget Office’s analysis, these funding schemes will only be enough to last through 2018, after which Congress will have to find another $51 billion to keep the spending going for another three years.

Roads, bridge repairs trains and transit projects will be on hold if Congress can’t agree on the Transportation Bill by Friday.

After Hatch spoke, Cruz rose to defend himself for making the accusation that McConnell had lied when he denied striking a deal to allow the vote to revive the Export-Import Bank.