Temporary Funding Bill Still Up in the Air, Chairman Bill Shuster Says

WASHINGTON — With only 33 days left to pass a temporary funding extension for the nation’s transportation system, the man who heads the House Transportation Committee said he doesn’t know where the money will come from or how long the extension will last.

“Just like doing a long-term bill the patch is going to be driven by the amount of money that we find,” Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) said during an appearance here April 28.

Shuster said he hopes to do an extension that lasts several months so that the Ways and Means Committee has time to find the funding for a long-term funding bill and states have the cash to get them through the construction season.

The temporary patch that has kept the Highway Trust Fund solvent since last summer expires on May 31. If Congress does not pass another extension or a long-term bill by then, the federal government will not be able to reimburse states for the highway maintenance and construction they do.

Due to the funding uncertainty, some states have already delayed or canceled highway construction projects that were to start this spring.

Shuster reiterated that he believes there is no support for raising fuel taxes to pay for transportation or for indexing the levies to keep up with inflation.

However, just to get the trust fund though the end of the calendar year will take $10 billion in budget offsets, which Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) is in charge of finding, Shuster said.

“It’s tough.”

Shuster acknowledged that lawmakers, who will be in recess next week, have only a short window in which to cobble together an extension.

Shuster made his remarks during a speech and question-and-answer period at an event held at the Newseum by the National Journal.