Highway Funding Bill Stalls In Congress

WASHINGTON -- The transportation bill that would have funded highway construction for another six years is seemingly DOA. House Majority leadership decided on Jul. 27 not to vote on the Senate transportation bill. The bill was a rare bipartisan compromise cobbled together by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA).

According to House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), the sticking point seems to be a provision in the bill that includes renewing the charter for the Export-Import Bank. Many have called the controversial Ex-Im Bank "corporate welfare" responsible for exporting American jobs.

At present time, the lawmakers have until today to come up with a solution. That's when payments to states expire if they fail to take action. It is also when the Highway Trust Fund is expected to drop below its minimum cushion of $4 billion to keep the money flowing to the states. According to McCarthy, the most likely move for the lawmakers is to pass another "patch" that would extend funding for five months. The last five-month patch was passed on Jul. 15.