Government

WASHINGTON — A congressional subcommittee received a grim picture Tuesday of what lies ahead for the Highway Trust Fund if Congress and the White House do not find a way to pay for transportation before the fund is declared insolvent in 2015.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Monday that would let Wisconsin allow trucks over 80,000 pounds currently running on U.S. Highway 41 to continue using the road if it is designated as an interstate highway next year.

The Senate on Thursday confirmed President Obama’s nominees to lead the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Labor, news services reported.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) has vetoed a transportation funding bill, saying the state Legislature did not fulfill his request to offset a loss of tolls from the Massachusetts Turnpike, the Associated Press reported.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration shut down and fined three Chicago-area movers due to safety and consumer-protection violations.

The U.S. economy improved at a moderate pace in the six weeks ended in early July, but shippers and trucking industry contacts cited caution about a shortage of truck drivers and the new hours-of-service rule, the Federal Reserve reported.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper named Lisa Raitt, a conservative member of parliament, to be the country’s new minister of transportation.

The Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission has approved a 10-year toll plan that’s expected to increase rates by about 2.7% annually for cars and trucks.

Medical professionals and state driver licensing agencies objected to a proposal to require daily updates of commercial drivers’ physical exam information, telling federal regulators the system would be burdensome and costly.