US House of Representatives to vote on short term extension

The US House of Representatives is expected to vote on a 35^th consecutive short-term extension that would authorise the surface transportation program until 20 November. This will then buy Congress 22 days to get a long-term transportation bill to the President’s desk before Thanksgiving.

This timeline is ambitious as the House is scheduled to be in session for only eight days during that period, and the US Senate will only be in session for 14 days. New measures that delay positive train control implementation until 2018 have made the bill more contentious than was originally planned, although the extension is still expected to pass without complications.

NSSGA members are urging members of Congress to support a long-term transportation bill that invests in the country’s infrastructure.

“Though no one wants to see another short term extension, this bill is a critical next step towards the six-year highway bill we are all pushing Congress so hard to pass,” said Pam Whitted, senior vice president of government and regulatory affairs. “There has been substantial progress made on a long-term bill and we anticipate more to come. For now, though, it is important to ensure payments from state departments of transportation flow to contractors smoothly.”

Adapted from press release by Rebecca Bowden

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/the-americas/27102015/house-of-representatives-to-vote-on-short-term-extension-856/