Today’s Headlines: The Oberstar/LaHood Edition

  • LaHood revealed his plan to seek a short-term transpo law extension "a half hour before" Oberstar was scheduled to brief reporters on his new transpo bill (AP)
  • Oberstar spokesman: "The chairman is not too pleased …" (NYT)
  • Rep. DeFazio, Oberstar’s partner in crafting a new bill, warns the proposed extension could dilute the benefits of the economic recovery law (Journal of Commerce)
  • And how does all this affect DeFazio’s (rumored) aspirations to run for governor of Oregon? (Oregonian)

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LaHood Asks For 18-Month Extension of Four-Year-Old Transpo Law

By Elana Schor |
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is asking Congress to extend the existing federal transportation law for 18 months, averting the coming insolvency of the nation’s highway trust fund while putting off broad-based transport reform for as long as the Bush administration did in the days surrounding the 2004 election. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood (Photo: AP) LaHood’s […]

Voinovich Joins House Dems in Saying No to Transpo Funding Stopgap

By Elana Schor |
Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH) allied with House Democrats today. (Photo: UPI) The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will move tomorrow on a White House-backed extension of the four-year-old federal transportation law, but at least one of its members is already opposed. George Voinovich (R-OH) linked arms with House Democratic leaders on the transportation panel […]

Did Pelosi Just Side With Oberstar on the Transpo Bill?

By Elana Schor |
That’s the implication of a Roll Call story today that states: "Momentum Builds for Transportation Bill." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) (Photo: moniquemonicat.wordpress.com) Here’s how the exchange in question played out at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) weekly briefing. Pelosi was asked for her position on a possible second stimulus bill, and she replied: I […]

House Transpo Leaders and Obama DOT Run Off in Opposite Directions

By Elana Schor |
The conflicted state of federal transportation policy-making was on vivid display today, as House lawmakers pressed ahead on a $500 billion bill that still lacks a funding source while the Obama administration scrambled to find $20 billion for a bailout of the highway trust fund. Members of the famously bipartisan House transportation committee lined up […]