Reauthorization
Basics
The Week Ahead: Congress Fights About Budget Cuts and Talks Transpo
I hope members of Congress had a nice, relaxing recess this week, because it’s about to get crazy on Capitol Hill.
March 25, 2011
WSJ: Mica Says Transit Funding Will Stay “About the Same”
Update 3:35 p.m.: Transportation Committee staff says Mica has confirmed what he meant: "He was referring to the share. Keep in mind that we have no numbers or details for a bill yet -- the hearing process is not yet finished and we have not drafted a bill. He was simply speculating at this point."
March 22, 2011
House Transportation Committee Rejects Obama’s 2012 Budget Request
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is having its say about the president’s ambitious – and unpaid-for – budget request for transportation.
March 22, 2011
“Grab a Hold of Your Shorts”: Mica and LaHood Talk Transportation Bill
This morning, House Transportation Committee Chair John Mica told transit professionals gathered at the American Public Transportation Association’s legislative conference that he’s still hoping to pass a bill out of the House by May in order to get it signed before September 30, when the current extension of SAFETEA-LU expires. “It’ll be very difficult after that,” he said. “Because of the presidential ‘happy season,’ major legislation sometimes gets left behind.”
March 15, 2011
President Obama Signs Transportation Extension
The House passed it 421-4, the Senate passed by voice vote, and now President Obama has signed the Surface Transportation Extension Act. The entire transportation program would have gone silent today if he hadn't, since the previous extension was to expire.
March 4, 2011
Senate Passes Transportation Extension
The Senate has passed the Surface Transportation Extension Act, extending SAFETEA-LU for the seventh time and keeping the transportation program going at current spending levels. The House passed the bill yesterday.
March 3, 2011
The Federal Transportation Bill Is a Health Care Bill
Dr. Richard J. Jackson is Professor and Chair of Environmental Health Science in the UCLA School of Public Health. We're happy to host opinion pieces from academic and other community leaders. Contact damien@streetsblog.org if you're interested.
March 3, 2011
House Passes Seventh Extension of Transportation Bill
Just in the nick of time, the House has passed an extension of the current transportation law. The sixth extension of SAFETEA-LU was set to expire this Friday.
March 2, 2011
Mica, LaHood Stump at AASHTO Meeting
Rep. John Mica promised state DOT leaders this morning that he would deliver a six-year reauthorization bill. He said he had previously thought of advancing a shorter-term bill but transportation officials convinced him of the need for greater certainty. With the full zeal of the converted, he announced, “Anyone who talks about anything less than a six-year bill, I’ll take you outside and beat the crap out of you.”
March 2, 2011
Mica on the Next Transportation Bill: Size Matters
We caught up with Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair John Mica today and asked him about the reauthorization.
March 1, 2011