Top House Republican Expects Senate to Back Trust Fund Bill
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said he thinks there will be enough senators next week who will support a 10-month Highway Trust Fund fix, legislation that easily advanced out of the House on July 15.
“We passed a bipartisan highway bill to prevent projects from shutting down here in the next several months. I expect a quick resolution of this matter in a bipartisan way,” Boehner told reporters July 17. “It's a sound proposal; it’s why it got bipartisan support in the House, and it’s frankly why it’s going to get bipartisan support in the Senate.”
Next week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) indicated the upper chamber would consider either the House-passed measure or a Democratic proposal that would shore up the fund through the end of the year.
President Obama this week said he supports the House legislation but noted he would rather see Congress approve a multiyear highway bill.
The House bill, which passed 367-55, would approve nearly $11 billion for highway projects through May. The Department of Transportation projects the Highway Trust Fund to run out of money as early as next month. States rely on trust fund dollars to help pay for large-scale infrastructure projects.
