Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Federal Stimulus

Coming Soon: A Senate Jobs Bill … With a New Approach to Transport?

The House disappointed more than a few transportation reformers last month in passing a major jobs bill with $75 billion for infrastructure but no merit-based funding or changes from the existing formulas for highways and transit.

durbin2.jpgSenate Democratic No. 2 Dick Durbin (D-IL) (Photo: STLToday)

Hopes for a more pathbreaking approach to what's been dubbed the "second stimulus" now rest with the Senate, where Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and soon-to-retire Byron Dorgan (D-ND) are taking the lead in crafting job-creation legislation.

The Senate is expected to turn to Durbin and Dorgan's final product as soon as the health care bill is completed, and The Hill reports today that the duo is still poring over no fewer than 121 pitches from fellow Democrats:

They are considering new transit and highway spending andefforts to help stave off public employee layoffs, as well as a new tax creditfor businesses hiring new workers and a program providing incentives forhomeowners to retrofit their homes, according to a source off Capitol Hill. ...

The House bill did not include the tax credit and“cash for caulkers” proposals, which are supported by President Barack Obama.

Dorgan presided over a hearing last month where a top Treasury Department adviser endorsed more competitive transportation spending that puts roads, transit, ports, and other modes on equal footing -- the U.S. DOT's popular TIGER grant program serving as a prime example.

The House opted to leave the TIGER program untouched in its jobs bill. But Senate leaders' openness to ideas not included in the lower chamber's legislation, such as the "cash for caulkers" retrofitting plan, suggests that merit-based transport money may not be off the table.

Stay tuned ... the Senate jobs bill is expected to emerge not long after the chamber returns to session following the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Tuesday’s Headlines Turn Up the Heat

Triple-digit heat, fueled by climate change, is warping rail lines, interrupting construction work on transit lines and causing burns on sidewalks.

July 16, 2024

These Are the Most Dangerous Congressional Districts for Pedestrians

The deadliest congressional districts in America are dominated by BIPOC communities — and federal officials need to step up to save the most vulnerable road users.

July 16, 2024

Delivery Worker Minimum Wage Shows Promise … For Some, Data Shows

New data from New York City's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection shows minimum wage is bringing order to a previously wild industry.

July 15, 2024

Monday’s Headlines Go Through Basic Training

An NYU study looks into why the U.S. is lagging behind on high-speed rail, and one transportation expert ponders the impact on growth.

July 15, 2024

Sustainable Transportation Advocates Need to Talk About Sustainable Urban Design

A new book hopes to act as a "magic decoder ring" to our built environment — and a powerful tool to understand how sustainable transportation networks can fit within them.

July 15, 2024
See all posts