Transport Topics By Eugene Mulero
September 23, 2021
WASHINGTON — With less than a week before the nation’s premier highway law expires and funding for most of the federal government comes to a halt, Congress is likely to adopt short-term legislative extensions.
Uncertainty surrounding a U.S. House vote on a $1 trillion infrastructure package scheduled for Sept. 27 raises questions about the future of the reauthorization of federal highway programs. Included in the infrastructure bill is an update of the 2015 FAST Act highway law. The FAST Act’s authority is up for renewal at the end of this month.
SEPT. 27 UPDATE: Infrastructure vote now slated for Sept. 30.
Transportation leaders say they are considering pivoting to alternative measures meant to avoid interruptions to highway and transit aid for state agencies. When asked about the likelihood of approving a short-term extension of the FAST Act, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), told Transport Topics: “Well, today is the 21st [of September]. That’d probably be a good bet.” Cantwell is the chairwoman of the Commerce Committee with jurisdiction over trucking policy. Her sentiment has been echoed by several members on the transportation panels.
View the full article: TTNews.com
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