Congress Passes Temporary Highway Funding Bill - Again

WASHINGTON -- Congress may have once again kicked the can down the road, but at least the road might be paved.

With just hours before the lawmakers were scheduled to begin a recess, they passed a three-month, $12 billion bill to extend highway and mass transit funding until the end of October. The bill passed the House in a 385 to 34 vote, and is expected to be quickly approved by the Senate.

Passed on Jul. 29, the bill barely beat the Aug. 1 deadline. State lawmakers had been holding their collective breath since cutting off funds during the peak months of construction season would have been seen as disastrous.

Although the bill keeps the cash flowing to states and municipalities for 90 days, it falls far short of the six-year, $350 billion that was originally proposed by the Senate.