Senate committees advance highway extension, funding

Senate committees advance highway extension, funding    The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Tuesday voted to extend by 18 months certain highway and safety programs under its jurisdiction authorized in 2005 by the SAFETEA-LU transportation bill, which is set to expire on Sept. 30.
   The committee approved a bill to extend the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration safety programs, as well as a hazardous materials resource program administered by the Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
   Last week the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee also approved an extension for the surface transportation bill for, also favored by the Obama administration.
   Portions of legislation from various committees will be joined on the floor to create a full extension measure for SAFETEA-LU.
   An extension would keep funding for highway construction and other programs in the $286 billion bill at the same level. The Highway Trust Fund (HTF) is not bringing in enough user fees to support the funding commitments to states, so Congress plans to transfer about $20 billion from the general fund to cover the shortfall.
   Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus took a first step toward that end by introducing legislation the same day to restore money taken from the HTF in previous years, instead of borrowing it from the Treasury.
   The measure would return $26.8 billion to the HTF by reimbursing the fund $19.5 billion for interest lost since 1998 when Congress eliminated its ability to earn interest on its balance. The Highway Account would receive $14.7 billion of the reimbursement and $4.8 billion would be directed to the Transit Account. The Highway Account would also receive an additional $7.3 billion paid out between 1989 and 2004 for emergency spending.
   'We are faced with the difficult question of how to beat the clock and restore the solvency of the Highway Trust Fund to avoid stalled infrastructure projects, job losses and an unsafe highway system. This proposal represents a clear way to address the projected shortfalls we face,' Baucus said in a statement.
   The DOT estimates the HTF could go in the red by the end of August.
   Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar and several colleagues in the House vehemently oppose an extension. They say the nation's infrastructure has been neglected too long and that new money must be found to expand programs to improve urban mobility, freight transportation, reduce pollution and increase safety. They have offered a draft bill with $500 billion in spending over six years, including $50 billion for a new high-speed passenger rail program.
   Senate Commerce Chairman Jay Rockefeller said the Senate does not have time to consider a comprehensive transportation bill this year.
   The committee also approved the nomination of Polly Trottenberg to be assistant secretary for transportation policy at the Department of Transportation. Trottenberg is expected to play a key role in shaping the DOT's surface transportation reauthorization proposal to Congress. She previously was executive director of Building America's Future, a pro-infrastructure coalition of local and state government officials. ' Eric Kulisch