House Amends Jobs Bill Sends It Back to the Senate

The House today approved the Senate passed "jobs" bill by a vote 217 to 201, with 211 Democrats and 6 Republicans voting in support.  Before adoption, the bill was amended to address the budgetary concerns of the fiscally conservative "Blue Dog" Democrats who wanted to assure that the bill was deficit neutral. Also included in the amendment is language extending, but not altering, authority for the Department of Transportation's Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program. The bill now goes back to the Senate for its consideration. There is no indication as to when the Senate will address the amended bill. The bill provides an extension of highway program authorization until December 31, 2010, provides additional revenue to the HTF to keep it solvent through the first quarter of 2011, and remedies an $8.7 billion rescission of highway spending authority included in the SAFETEA-LU law. Other construction friendly provisions in the bill include an extension of Build America Bonds and accelerated equipment expensing.  The program is operating under authorization provided in a 30 day extension that was passed by the Senate on Tuesday and signed by the President yesterday.