Reauthorization
Basics
Pressure Mounts to Hold Sen. Boxer to Her Word on Safe Streets
With conference negotiations occurring in a black box, transportation advocates on all sides are anxiously awaiting word of the final deal. Rumors abound that Democrats have been willing to negotiate away local control over bike/ped funding as a bargaining chip to get other concessions from Republicans. We don't know if this is true or not, but bike advocates are stepping up their game, trying to hold Sen. Barbara Boxer to her promises to preserve funding support for small-scale street safety projects.
June 25, 2012
Boehner Masks GOP Attack on Safe Streets By Opposing Flowers
House Speaker John Boehner spoke to reporters yesterday morning. His message: "Republicans Relentlessly Focused on Jobs."
June 22, 2012
Top 10 Reasons Sen. Boxer Must Keep Her Word on Bike/Ped Programs
This post originally appeared on www.bikeleague.org. The author is the president of the League of American Bicyclists.
June 22, 2012
Civil Rights Groups Rally Against Threat to Environmental Review
A coalition of civil rights and environmental groups is crying foul over proposed changes to an important environmental protection as lawmakers attempt to hammer out a last minute deal on the transportation bill.
June 21, 2012
Boxer and Mica Release Vague Reassurance of Progress
Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. John Mica just released this statement:
June 21, 2012
Deal Imminent?
We're hearing reports that a deal on the surface transportation bill is imminent. We'll let you know when we hear more. Could it be that the Walz Motion to Instruct lit a fire under the conferees?
June 21, 2012
386 to 34: House Instructs Conference to Get It Done By Friday
There's no excuse for dilly-dallying.
June 20, 2012
House to Vote on Firming Up the Conference Deadline
UPDATE 3 PM: The text of the MTI doesn't mention forcing a vote on the Senate bill.
June 20, 2012
Extension(s) Imminent — a Reflection on Neverending Transpo Gridlock
For the past six months, I have had the enviable task (seriously) of tracing the path of federal transportation legislation through Congress. And look how far we've come! When I first took the editor's chair in January, transportation funds were drying up, the deadline for a new bill was fast approaching, and none of the news made Congress look good. Today, essentially, nothing has changed, except everything is somehow even worse.
June 19, 2012
Boxer Changes Her Tone, Adopts a Fighting Stance
The transportation bill conference committee negotiations have been difficult and contentious, by all accounts -- all except Senator Barbara Boxer's account. The EPW chair has been optimistic when others have been bitter, consistently focusing on how much the two sides agree rather than the places where they're still far apart.
June 14, 2012