Editorial: The House's Highway Bill

After so much talk — and even more short-term extensions — Congress appears finally ready to approve a long-term highway bill.

Last week, the House passed a six-year, $325 billion piece of legislation to help improve the nation’s infrastructure while reforming the Compliance, Safety, Accountability ratings program for truckers and creating a program to allow younger drivers to be involved in interstate commerce.

The House’s action comes months after the Senate passed its own legislation — meaning the sides now must work out a compromise before there is a final piece of legislation.

General reaction to the House vote was almost unanimously positive across the transportation industry. A number of the e-mails Transport Topics received raised some concern about funding levels. That issue also was raised by the White House, although the administration, too, signaled support for the legislation.

But after so many false starts or just outright inability to get anything accomplished on Capitol Hill in regards to highway funding for so many years, the praise of finally reaching an agreement shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

Of course, no piece of legislation this size is going to be perfect, and this highway bill is no exception. While not a surprise, it is nonetheless disappoint-ing the House let another opportunity to raise federal fuel taxes to fund infrastructure improvements slip by.

In fact, there was not even consideration of a proposal by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) aimed at gradually raising fuel taxes as a way to back infrastructure projects with the Highway Trust Fund.

A spokesman for American Trucking Associations summed up what many backers of a fuel-tax hike are feeling.

It is “unfortunate that the House was not allowed an open debate on increasing the federal fuel tax,” Sean McNally told Transport Topics. ATA “continues to believe increasing and indexing the fuel tax is the best, most efficient way to ensure sufficient funding for the trust fund for the foreseeable future.”

That may be the case, but for this one week, there is truly a sense of optimism on this issue that has eluded us for so many years.

From what House and Senate leaders are saying, they believe a bill could reach President Obama’s desk for signature before Thanksgiving.

If so, a truly joyful holiday season it will be.