The following is a link to an article in the non-partisan newspaper “The Hill,” on the Highway Bill. As you may recall, the Highway Bill is the vehicle for passage of the important Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund. 

In the past, the Highway Bill has been a non-partisan bill. It has been used by Congress to create construction jobs. A Senate version of this bill has passed with 74 “yes” votes, making it non-partisan. Over in The House, where the version of this bill also includes an unfreezing of the important Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund needed for dredging projects, Members refuse to take up the Senate Bill and now are promising to pass a short-term extension next week. Frankly, this action is what we expected. 

However, the majority leadership in the Senate now refuses to take up a short-term extension of the bill. The current funding is set to expire at the end of this week, on March 31, so we are now caught up in Presidential year politics. Passage is also hurt by Members remembering that funds for the famous “Bridge to Nowhere” were contained in a previous Highway Bill of a prior election year.

Here’s the link if you would like to read more:

House sidesteps Senate $109B highway bill for short-term bill