Senate GOP Blocks Additional $25 Billion for Highways

Senate Republicans Tuesday blocked a proposal to add billions of dollars of highway and mass transit funding to the economic stimulus bill continuing to shape, the Associated Press reported.

The proposal received 58 votes, two shy of the supermajority required under Senate budget rules. Republican senators would prefer to cut other parts of the massive bill before adding additional funds for infrastructure, AP said.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash) proposed adding $25 billion for infrastructure to the stimulus bill. The move would have increased the highway spending in the $885 billion bill by almost 50%, to $40 billion, AP said.

Lawmakers had complained that President Obama’s plan doesn’t do enough to fund unfinished infrastructure projects, AP said.