House approves $3.4 billion increase for highways

House approves $3.4 billion increase for highways The U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday passed a $463.5 billion catchall appropriations bill to fund the government through the fiscal year ending Sept. 30 that includes $3.4 billion in additional spending for highway programs.
   Congress passed a continuing resolution last year to extend fiscal 2006 spending levels until Feb. 15 because no agreement was reached on nine of 11 appropriation bills for federal departments.
   Agencies have curtailed spending because they were unsure what their budgets would look like. Similarly, states delayed starting new road construction projects because of uncertainty about the level of grants they would receive from the Department of Transportation.
   Although the majority of government programs will carry over at 2006 spending levels (except for small increases to cover scheduled personnel pay raises), funding for surface transportation was granted an exception after 72 senators and the membership of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee urged their respective leaders to appropriate the $3.4 billion increase spelled out in the 2005 highway reauthorization bill. Total surface transportation funding is $48 billion, including $39.1 billion for highway programs.
   The House vote came without going through the usual Appropriations Committee editing. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the action was taken so Congress could move onto new issues for 2007.
   The Senate must still act on the bill.