Senate to Take Up Mysterious ‘Jobs Bill’ — Is Infrastructure in the Mix?
The notion of a "front-loaded" infrastructure bill to counter the rising U.S. unemployment rate has been circulating in Washington for some time, though solid details on such a measure have yet to emerge.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) (Photo: LV City Life)The talk took a new turn yesterday, when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV) told fellow Democrats that he would call up a "jobs bill" before the end of the year. From The Hill:
Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) told The Hill that Reid (D-Nev.) made theannouncement about a new jobs bill at the Senate Democrats’ weeklylunch.
Reid said he was looking at an initiative focused on job creation “and that our caucus will take it up,” Cardin said.
Reid didn’t specifywhat would be in the bill, but he said that it was going to be “one ofthe priorities” for the Senate, Cardin added.
The political urgency behind Democrats' job-creation push is obvious; the "generic ballot" question, a polling staple that measures support for congressional re-elections, shifted in favor of the GOP today for the first time in months.
But what's less clear is how open senators are to the perspective of Reid's No. 2, Dick Durbin (D-IL), who has emphasized the importance of new transportation spending, and whether any new spending would be targeted to repair the nation's aging roads and bridges before building new capacity.
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) found earlier this year [PDF] that crumbling, rickety roads cost the average American about $400 a year in repair and maintenance, with the average city dweller paying nearly double that amount. Still, a "fix-it-first" rule for transportation spending is in place in only some states, such as New Jersey and Maryland, and was shot down during this year's stimulus debate.
Will transportation reformers and environmental groups publicly press for a "fix-it-first" approach in the Democrats' jobs bill, once it materializes? That may be the million-dollar (or billion-dollar) question.
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Wednesday’s Headlines at a Discount
We talk a lot about how parking minimums drive up housing costs, but so do overly wide roads. Why not take away a lane or two and let people build on the land?
Study: Remote Work Isn’t Always A Cure for America’s Addiction to Driving
A lot of Americans traded long commutes for short errands during the pandemic — but whether that swap resulted in more or less driving is a consequence of policy choices.
Tuesday’s Headlines Are Trending Down
An estimated 19,515 people died in car crashes during the first half of 2023, which is down 3.3 percent but still 19,515 too many.
What Do ‘Livable’ Streets Look Like in an Era of Driverless Cars?
Does a world of autonomous cars really have to make our streets less human?
