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Subscribe to RSSCongress could be barreling towards another showdown after House Republicans announced today they would need a short-term extension of federal funding for transportation projects to buy time to work on a longer-term reauthorization, a move Senate Democrats have rejected.
"I'm inclined not to do that," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said in response to a question yesterday about the prospects for a short-term extension in the Senate. Federal funding for highway and transit programs will expire on March 31if an extension or reauthorization is not passed.
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica told reporters today that Republicans will be introducing a 90-day clean extension to give their members more time to finish their own five-year reauthorization bill.
That bill -- which was once touted as Speaker Boehner's primary objective for the year -- has hit a number of snags over the past months. Parochial issues have plagued the legislation, causing members to reject it because of stipulations that directly affect their constituencies. Some conservatives also don't support the bill because they say it spends too much.
Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA), who is also on the Transportation Committee, said he's "confident" Reid will change his mind about a short-term extension. "I think Harry Reid will rethink that when it gets to March 30," Shuster said, "He wants to shut down the highway program? I don't think he wants to do that."
The Senate has already passed a two-year reauthorization that is currently sitting in House awaiting a vote. House Republicans don't support the measure, saying a two-year extension is not enough. But Boehner has said they may need to take up the Senate's bill if Republicans fail to coalesce around their own version.
Either way, the debate has real economic implications. If federal funding for these projects runs out, workers could be furloughed and some highway and transit programs could be stalled. Both parties agree that if Congress is going to pass a major "jobs bill" this year, this is it.
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YAY!
Is anyone else having as much fun as I am watching our tax dollars hard at work...?
*snark off*
Our roads, bridges and railways are in shreds, while countries like China spend many times more than the us modernizing travel for the 21st century.
The only ideas I have heard floating around from GOP are about paying TOLLS for highways and bridges across America. Is that what we want?
The President's American Jobs Act was voted down 3 times by GOP congressionals. They even refused to bring it up for debate. Were they doing the work of the People when they refused to debate 2 million jobs? NO.
When the housing bubble burst millions of construction workers lost their jobs through no fault of their own. It is time to put America back to work.
Is that what brought Boehner to tears?
Again...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/21/john-boehner-cries_n_1370568.html?ref=politics
What a hormonally imbalanced FREAK!
They won't even debate the Senates 2 year bill because it is not long enough, but they will threaten to kill all federal funding if the Senate isn't willing to pass a 90 day extension while they try to create a 5 year bill? Wow!
And what the heck did the GOP House do for the past 13 months? Couldn't they have worked something out by now? Evidently regulating uterus' and wiping out the ever-present threat of Sharia Law were all they could focus on.
jDills,
Spot on!!
They cannot get enough of passing their social aganda to control womens bodies.
Any bill proposed by house republicans will be filled with special interest graft and corruption earmarks and social issues banning abortion, birth control and creating theocratic rule in government.
I still have my Republican secret decoder ring (they forgot to take it back when I switched parties) and what they really are saying is: Somehow 9% of the country somehow approves of Congress and we're going to bring that number down!
The Party of Nope is rapidly becoming the Party of Fail.
What will they do for an encore after this election year? Rubber noses and inflatable shoes, perhaps?
Tolls suck--these lengthen commute time, wasting fuel in the process.
The real problem is the Teapublican Party is in chaos, beginning with Dubya screw-ups and Tea Party hijacking. The Teapublicans in the House can't even work with one another, and have no leadership. Actually they have nothing, not even a viable platform. The GOP/TP needs to start from scratch and figure out a reason for being.
Well you don't expect them to work two weeks without one week off do ya? And gees, Boehner would have to sober up, get off the golf course, and skip his tanning appointment!
In the meantime, governing still needs to take place. Step aside Teapublicans and let the Dems do the People's work while you get your head out of your arse.
"Is anyone else having as much fun as I am watching our tax dollars hard at work...?"
Ummm.....you have to pay federal taxes to say that statement above. I'm pretty sure that's not happening......just stating the obvious...
maybe the prez should spend a little on the roads and bridges - instead of padding the pockets of his cronnies on wall street . shovel ready was just bull@!$%# - shoveled the big bucks to his buddies on wall street
egram,
Where have you been?
President Obama had at least 4 jobs bill since last fall in the Senate but they were blocked by the threat of a fillibuster by the GOP. Thses jobs bills were for infrastructure.
Now this reauthorization bill for transportation projects has passed the Seante but the House won't pass it.
Call speaker Boehner and tell him to pass this bill.
And every so-called jobs bill sponsored by the GOP is basically a tax cut for the rich and open up ANWAR, allow us companies to pay no tax on products they manufacture abroad....you know, the normal destroy America legislation that the tried and failed policies of the right always comes up with. Note that Boehner broke the transportation bill into 3 parts, passed the first 50 billion dollar portion which included nothing except tax cuts, Keystone XL and opening ANWAR with 48 billion in special interest eramarks and only 2 billion in actual funding for transportation funding. He should be hung and everyone of the idiotic crooks that either sponsored or voted for that bill. There is no accountability with these idiots. Maybe we should enact a death penalty bill that calls for the execution of crooks in Congress.
The GOP’s five-year highway bill in the House has been reworked, rethought and pulled off the floor so many times that Republicans have lost track which bill leadership is whipping.
If the five-year bill isn’t salvaged, the House will most likely be forced to take up a short-term deal that they’ve all said is harmful to business certainty.
Anatomy of a" fake crises" :
Boehner wanted the reauthorizing of the Transportation and Infrastructure bill as the GOP signature legislation for this year. This would continue funding for roads bridges, jobs...
All agree that a five year bill is needed.
All know the old funding expires for all projects on March31, 2012
Bill getts reworked to death in the House.
Senate passes a two year extension.
House Chair and GOP committee members now says the Senate must get ready for a clean 90 day bill, because the Dems would not want to defund existing projects.
And it It will give House more time to get the votes need for a "new five year plan". We don't have the votes for the Senate two year plan.
this is how a fake crises is created...
Speaker Boehner, is this the sign of your leadership and the GOP controlled House who got elected on Jobs, jobs, jobs?
P.S. Congress still has their scheduled Easter/ Spring break at he end of the month.
I didn't realize that they had returned from their 3-week long leap day break.
if romney would just be romney and not cave to hanity rush and the far right wack jobs he would win easy if he survives the primaries-where is the romney we knew and loved? hes gone hes fightin us not helpin us!! but why?? I guess the big money blow hars in the gop matter we dont like he said corporations are people I guess us who once followed him are not
There they go again! On a collision course with the people of America. The TEA-GOP-Republicans are dead-set on making bricks without hay. Taking the US to the brink of collapse is their aim. Remember that when you vote in November!
The GOP trolls didn't hear about this yet? Are they still on the Ryan bill? Either way both of these GOP congressmen are way out of touch.
Yeah, like on jobs for Americans that pay more than minimum wage.
Ried ought to let them expire and make sure everyone knows that ONCE AGAIN the party of NO, NO, NO is shutting things down for another tantrum.