Ben Goldman

While there is no official statement yet, sources on the Hill (and CQ for subscribers) are saying that House Republicans are revamping their 5-year, $260 billion transportation bill and will discard their proposal to eradicate the dedicated transit funding mechanism enacted by Ronald Reagan in 1983. The bill is unlikely to see floor debate next week.

Illinois Lawmakers Want Transportation Bill Changes (CBS) After Years of Procrastination, Transpo Tops Political Agenda (NBC) Three Major Cycling Advocacy Groups Plan to Merge (BikeLeague) Of Course Politicians Prefer CAFE Standards to Gas Tax (Forbes) Transit Officials Offer New Reason to Oppose House Bill: Bond Ratings (Transpo Nation) Thinking About How Driverless Cars Will Affect … Continued

Congress is in recess, and the House's atrocious transportation bill has been dismembered and delayed, but if you want to preserve funding for transit and active transportation, don't let your guard down yet. There's still plenty to watch out for as the House and Senate attempt to reauthorize federal transportation programs. As we've reported, there are some stark differences between the House and Senate bills. But what is scariest may be their similarities.

Distracted driving has become one of the U.S. Department of Transportation's banner issues under secretary Ray LaHood's tenure, with agencies launching safety programs and awareness campaigns aimed at preventing the practice. Last week, LaHood stepped into new territory by recommending that cars be built to automatically disable potentially distracting electronic devices when in motion.

Both houses of Congress are in recess this week, putting off their mountain of unfinished transportation business until next Monday. The momentum carrying transportation bills forward in each chamber has eroded recently.

During the current push for multi-year transportation bill, the Senate has been known more for its spirit of bipartisanship than any visionary policy advances. Now that the bill has hit the Senate floor, however, it's getting a little ugly.

When Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama balked at the increase in transportation spending recommended by President Obama's 2013 budget, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood did not mince words: "America is one big pothole," he said.

Check Out Transportation For America‘s Senate Bill Amendment Tracker Harry Reid Proposes Amendments to Senate Bill, Sets Up Next Cloture Vote (Politico) With Gas Tax Money Vanishing, Bills Mum on What Comes Next (HuffPo) Nat’l Employment Law Project’s Anastasia Christman: House Bill Bad for Jobs (Hill) Member of Commission to Replace SAFETEA-LU Weighs in on … Continued

First, John Boehner split his transportation bill into three smaller bills that deal with transportation, oil and gas drilling, and government employee pensions separately. Now, it looks like the transportation component won't be voted on until after the President's Day recess, according to Politico:

The White House issued a statement yesterday that spelled out President Obama's opposition to the House transportation bill, also known as H.R. 7. The administration's statement of policy, which coincided with the House Rules Committee hearing on H.R. 7, takes a stand in defense of transit, safety, and the environment: