The Senate worked double-time on transportation funding issues Thursday, passing the House’s $8 billion, three-month extension (H.R. 3236) and its own DRIVE Act (H.R. 22). The extension, the 34th such measure since 2008, now moves on to President Obama for his signature to keep the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) financed until Oct. 29.
The extension bill passed 91-4, while the DRIVE (Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy) Act passed 65-34. House and Senate leaders have stated the two chambers will take up the DRIVE Act in conference this fall to work out and agree to details for a long-term transportation funding solution.
As it stands now, the legislation is a six-year effort, but only provides guaranteed funding for the HTF for three years. Revenue would come from a variety of offsets and would not increase the gas tax, a promise made by Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), one of the bill’s chief architects. The gas tax, set at 18.4 cents per gallon, is the chief funding mechanism for the HTF and has not been increased in 22 years.
Representative Bill Shuster (R-Pennsylvania), who introduced H.R. 3236, said the extension would give the House more time to work on a “fiscally responsible” proposal to take to conference with the Senate.
“We all share the same goal of completing a long-term bill as soon as possible, and ensuring that critical programs do not shut down before we achieve that goal is the right thing to do,” he said.
Breathing room is a function of the DRIVE Act as well, a point McConnell made before the Senate’s vote.
