House of Representatives
Basics
High-Speed Rail in California is Worrying Itself to Death
Yesterday, for the second time in as many weeks, the House T&I committee held a hearing on the benefit-versus-boondoggle high-speed rail debate. Last time, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was asked to defend the peppering of high-speed rail grants to projects outside the Northeast Corridor. Yesterday, the topic narrowed to focus just on California's high-speed rail project, whose recently-drafted business plan [PDF] has revised its total construction cost to $98.5 billion through 2033—up from $43 billion though 2020 just a few short years ago.
December 16, 2011
Another GOP Transportation Proposal That’s Really All About Oil Drilling
Democrats in the Senate Finance Committee have been working to find $12 billion to fund the transportation bill for the next two years. All their proposals have met with rejection from the committee's Republicans. Here's why: The Republicans have been holding out for a funding mix that would include their favorite Christmas presents -- oil drilling and attacks on conservation.
December 9, 2011
LaHood Defends High-Speed Rail Program At House Hearing
It's Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood's birthday, and he's spending it testifying before the House Transportation Committee. The hearing is on "Mistakes & Lessons Learned" from the high-speed rail program, but -- no surprise here -- LaHood and House Republicans have differing ideas about what "mistakes" have been made.
December 6, 2011
Is the House Democrats’ New “Buy America” Jobs Bill Just a Political Ploy?
With no movement on a highway bill from House T&I Chairman John Mica until after Congress reconvenes in January, Ranking Member Nick Rahall held a press conference today to introduce the “Invest in American Jobs Act of 2011” [PDF]. The act would strengthen the “Buy America” requirements already in place on transit, rail, highway, bridge, and aviation programs.
December 1, 2011
Taxpayer Group: GOP Drill Bill “Not a Responsible Budget Approach”
From an environmental perspective, the House GOP proposal to fund infrastructure with fees on fossil fuel extraction is clearly a disaster. But does it even pass the smell test from a dollars-and-cents perspective?
November 21, 2011
Boehner Touts Vague Outline of Oil Drilling + Transpo Bill
Domestic oil drilling would increase exponentially under a proposal that the House GOP is developing as part of its legislative package for long-term transportation policy. John Boehner outlined the basics of the package today.
November 17, 2011
No Details Yet on House Transportation and Oil Drilling Bill
House leaders did not unveil a bill at their press conference this morning.
November 17, 2011
House GOP Takes the Plunge, Unveils Transportation and Energy Plan Today
UPDATE 12:00: Leaders did not introduce a bill, but outlined their plan in rather vague terms. More to come.
November 17, 2011
2012 Transpo Budget: Sustainable Communities and HSR Out, TIGER In
Remember those radically different appropriations bills passed by the House and the Senate? And how I said they’d never come together, and they probably would never pass a 2012 budget anyway because all Congress ever does anymore is extend previous budgets because they can’t agree on anything?
November 16, 2011
Mica Warns Boxer on Highway Trust Fund; House Plans Hearing on “Drill Bill”
“I want to congratulate you on your Committee’s approval of the ‘Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act,” begins House Transportation Committee Chair John Mica’s letter yesterday to Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee.
November 15, 2011