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Senate Votes Cloture to Allow Highway Program Fix to Move Forward

By a vote of 62-30 the Senate today voted for cloture, a procedural move that allows debate on the "Jobs" legislation to proceed. The vote was largely along party lines with the following Republican Senators joining 58 Democrats in support: Bond (Mo), Brown (Mass), Collins (Me), Snowe (Me), Voinovich (OH). Senator Nelson (Neb) was the lone Democrat voting against. While there are still 30 hours of potential debate on the underlying bill, today's vote was the key, and final passage in the Senate will likely occur on Tuesday. AGC sent numerous alerts in support of the legislation and members across the country responded by urging their Senators to support cloture. AGC followed up visits and correspondence with Senators by sending a Key Vote alert today pointing out the high importance the construction industry placed on today's vote.  The bill contains the following provisions:
  • Extends highway program authorization through December 31, 2010 at current funding levels.
  • Provides additional revenue to keep the Highway Trust Fund solvent through the first quarter of 2011.
  • Restores highway spending authority that was cut on September 30, 2009 due to a budget recession in SAFETEA-LU.
  • Allow public bodies to convert tax credit bonds to Build America Bonds.
  • Exempts workers hired in 2010 that have been unemployed for at least 60 days from Social Security payroll taxes.
  • Extends 2008 and 2009 section 179 expensing thresholds so that taxpayers may elect to write-off up to $250,000 of certain capital expenditures in 2010 in lieu of depreciating those costs over time.
 Following passage by the Senate the bill must go to the House for consideration.