Oberstar Continues to Press for Multi-Year Transportation Reauthorization

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.) plans to limit the length of an extension of highway and transit program spending authorization in order to press for a multi-year transportation authorization bill. It is unclear at this time how long an extension Chairman Oberstar will support. SAFETEA-LU expires on September 30, and Congress must take action to allow the programs to continue uninterrupted. Prior to its summer recess, Congress passed legislation to transfer $7 billion into the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) to ensure that there would be no slow down in reimbursements to states for ongoing construction projects. Congressional Budget Office projections indicate that HTF revenue, coupled with the general fund transfer, is sufficient to keep the trust fund solvent for several more months. The Senate is expected to soon bring up legislation reported from Committee prior to the summer recess to extend highway and transit authorization for 18 months until March 2011. The Senate intends to include in the authorization extension an addition to a general fund transfer to ensure the HTF remains solvent through March 2011. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) indicated that she intends to continue drafting a multi-year bill during this extension. An amendment to limit the extension in the Senate to less than 18 months is expected. The Obama Administration has called for an 18-month extension for the program, coupled with an additional infusion of general fund revenue to keep the programs at a steady funding level. The president does not appear to be ready to address a long-term program authorization at this time.  AGC continues to advocate the need for six-year reauthorization legislation with significantly increased revenues to address the nation's growing transportation infrastructure deficit while working to ensure there is no disruption in program funding in the interim.