Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In

That's the implication of a Roll Call story today that states: "Momentum Builds for Transportation Bill."

nancy_pelosi.jpgHouse 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 am committed to the first stimulus. I don't think it has been given all the time to work. ... The question is always open as to what the Administration may recommend to us, but right now, I believe that we have much more to gain from seeing through the first stimulus. 

I am a proponent for bringing up a full transportation bill, which is a great jobs bill.  At some point, we may have to do something on the extension of unemployment benefits. But in terms of the investments that were made in the first package, I want to play that out.

We have to be very careful about the spending on this. ... [R]ight now I think that we have big issues with health care and how we fund that, and if we do go someplace, I'd like to see us do the transportation bill.

So is Pelosi backing her transportation committee chairman, Jim Oberstar (D-MN), whose push to pass a transportation bill this year has faced opposition from the Senate and the Obama administration?

A House Democratic leadership aide told Streetsblog Capitol Hill that no decisions on a timeframe for the transportation bill have been made, but discussions are ongoing and all parties agree that a short-term problem exists.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Do Tuesday’s Headlines Live in a 15-Minute City?

Find out how long it takes to walk to stores, restaurants and transit stops in your neighborhood with this Washington Post widget.

December 10, 2024

Even at Slower Speeds, SUVs and Pickups are a ‘Big’ Problem for Pedestrians

Pedestrians hit by median-height cars have a 60 percent chance of suffering moderate injuries, but that figure rises to 83 percent when they are struck by a median-height pickup truck at that same speed.

December 10, 2024

Can We Build Car-Light Neighborhoods From Scratch — Even in Texas?

Can you really build a car-light neighborhood in suburban Houston — and could it inspire car-dependent places to explore new ideas about development?

December 10, 2024

How Trump’s Mass Deportation Plans Could Make U.S. Roads More Dangerous

President-elect Trump's promise to deport one million people per year will make America's streets less safe.

December 9, 2024

The Buck Stops With Monday’s Headlines

Harry Truman was known for whistle-stop campaigning, and interstates are associated with Eisenhower. But that's not entirely true, as the Eno Center explains.

December 9, 2024
See all posts