The Utter Futility of a Gas Tax “Holiday”
Disclaimer: The House and Senate, in the grand scheme of things, have plenty of time to hack together a short-term extension of transportation funding, or even to pass the Senate bill outright if they felt like it.
March 28, 2012
Today’s Headlines
House Republicans Punt 9th Transpo Extension for 2nd Time in 24 Hours (Politico) GOP Rep. Asks: If We’re Out of Money for Transpo, Why Spend $10B/Mo. in Afghanistan? (Hill) Rasmussen Report Finds 48 Percent of Americans Think Feds Should Drop Gas Tax Rep. DeFazio: House GOP “Hate America,” Hate Idea of National Transportation System (Hill) … Continued
March 28, 2012
House Schedules, Skips, Debates, Ultimately Delays Vote on 60-Day Extension
It's like Congressional Whack-a-Mole: Transportation bills pop up just long enough to offer a fleeting glimpse before they retract back into oblivion.
March 27, 2012
Today’s Headlines
House GOP Didn’t Have Votes for 90-Day Extension, Delays Vote (Politico) They’ll Try Again Today, but Possibly With Something Different (Hill) Three House Repubs. Sign on to Letter Supporting Senate Bill (Hill) Instead of Congestion Charges, How About a Bribe? (Atlantic Cities) Bicycle Advocates Inspire, Inspired by Senators, Congressmen (LAB) GOOD Issues a Challenge: Design … Continued
March 27, 2012
How the House Transpo Extension Hurts the Senate’s Two-Year Bill
Congress has five days in which to pass an extension of transportation funding. That means there will be a flurry of activity on the Hill this week to avoid a shutdown of federal transportation programs on April 1. (It also means there will be a flurry of "April Fools" references directed by and at opposing political parties on the House and Senate floors.)
March 26, 2012
Today’s Headlines
Obama to House: Pass the Senate Transpo Bill (Hill) Transpo Funding Will Be Extended Beyond Saturday’s Deadline (Trans. Issues Daily) For This Congress, Only Modest Ambitions Prevail (AP) Americans Waste Nearly 2 Billion Gallons of Gas Per Year (USA Today) What Planners Knew 100 Years Ago, And Why We Don’t Do It Anymore (StrongTowns) Debate … Continued
March 26, 2012
GOP Budget Would Cut Transpo to the Bone
Wednesday night, the House Budget Committee narrowly passed -- by one vote -- the 2013 federal budget proposed by chairman Paul Ryan. It calls for all kinds of spending cuts, casts aside the bargains struck during last year's budget debacle, and asserts that by 2050, all federal spending outside of entitlement programs (Medicare, Medicaid) should only equal 4 percent of America's GDP. For comparison, most peer nations spend around 5 percent of GDP on infrastructure alone.
March 23, 2012
Today’s Headlines
House Opts to Throw Tantrum Instead of Pass Senate Bill (NRDC) An Extension Would Have the Support of Senate GOP (Hill) Get Serious on Transpo Funding, Ditch Gas Tax for Upstream Fee (Carnegie Endowment) Talking About Cities to Outsiders: “Urban” Means “Anti-Rural” and Other Tips (Atlantic Cities) Private Company Will Try For Orlando-Miami Passenger Rail … Continued
March 23, 2012
House to Vote on 9th Transpo Extension Just as Time and Money Run Out
Reps. John Mica, Dave Camp, and John Duncan have formally introduced a bill that would extend federal transportation programs until June 30, without any changes to funding, policy, or gas taxes. It is officially known as H.R. 4239.
March 22, 2012