Highway Bill

Thanks for contacting your member of Congress.  Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed their six-year Highway Bill.  Since their bill is different than the Senate’s, it now will go to a conference committee to work out the differences. The current short-term extension expires on November 20.

Below is a portion of an article from The NY Times – a good summary.  Also, below are the votes of NC’s Congressional delegation.

The House on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a multiyear highway bill that includes more than $300 billion in transportation and infrastructure programs to address the nation’s deteriorating roads and bridges.

 The bill, however, still fails to address a chronic shortfall in financing for the Federal Highway Trust Fund, which pays for such projects, and has been the subject of a fierce long-running disagreement over federal tax policy.

 The House measure must now be reconciled with a Senate version adopted earlier this year. Like the House bill, the Senate measure included six years of policy prescriptions but only provided about three years’ worth of financing.

 The vote in the House was 363 to 64. Most of the “no” votes came from hard-line conservative Republicans who were angered that the bill was not fully paid for and that it included a provision to reopen the federal Export-Import Bank.

 Some transportation experts also criticized the measure, which they said was too small to address the nation’s widespread, and worsening, infrastructure problems. President Obama, in his budget, had called for a larger, $478 billion program.

Votes from NC’s Delegation

Adams – Yes

Butterfield – Yes

McHenry – Yes

Pittenger – Yes

Price – Yes

Walker – Yes

Foxx – No

Jones – No

Holding – No

Hudson – No

Rouzer – No

Meadows – No

Ellmers – not voting

Want to learn more click on this link.       Federal Highway Spending Bill