Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In

Two competing versions of a transportation-related job creation bill went down yesterday in the Senate. The first, the Rebuild America Jobs Act (S.1769), was a Democratic proposal, modeled on President Obama's job creation bill, to invest $50 billion for infrastructure and another $10 billion as seed money to create a new national infrastructure bank.

Bills to put unemployed construction workers back on the job keep going down in Congress.

Given Republican opposition to what they consider a repeat of a failed stimulus -- and to an infrastructure bank they say is unnecessary at best and politicized at worst -- the failure of the bill is no surprise. The bill garnered a slim majority -- 51-49 -- but not enough to overcome the threat of a GOP filibuster.

Meanwhile, the Republican proposal would have pushed back many health, safety, and environmental regulations that corporations consider onerous. Defeated in a 47-53 vote, the bill also would have extended SAFETEA-LU for two more years -- nearly matching the length and spending levels in the bipartisan EPW proposal -- without funding the shortfall such spending would cause to the Highway Trust Fund. The bill wouldn't have been a "clean" extension of current law, though, since it eliminated the "set-aside" for bike and pedestrian infrastructure, making it the fourth attempt in less than two months by Senate Republicans to eliminate or weaken TE -- and the fourth failure.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Best of 2024: Yes, People Bike In ‘Bad’ Weather — If We Support Them

Good policy can mean the difference between people getting in the saddle or not — even when Mother Nature is at her worst.

December 26, 2024

Tuesday’s Headlines Are the Reason for the Season

An MTA worker's delightful after-work hobby, a viral sidewalk meme revisited and a few wonkier deep dives to get you through the holidays.

December 24, 2024

Best of 2024: The Real (Disappointing) Reason Why Gen Z Is Getting Fewer Drivers Licenses

Yes, fewer young adults are getting behind the wheel. No, it doesn't mean car culture is doomed.

December 24, 2024

Streetsblog Year in Review: The Biggest Sustainable Transport News of 2024

It was a busy year in the movement to end car dependency — and there's a lot more to come.

December 23, 2024

Monday’s Headlines Are Knocked Out by Greenways

Greenways are helping to revitalize cities, but how well are they integrated into the overall transportation system?

December 23, 2024
See all posts