House tells highway conferees: Keep language blocking coal ash regulations

The House voted to instruct conferees on the highway bill to keep language in the House measure that would block the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) attempt to regulate coal ash.

Members voted 260-138 in favor of the motion to instruct, which was offered by Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.). The motion was debated Wednesday evening.

The House has considered several of these non-binding motions, which are not expected to have any real effect on the House-Senate negotiations that have been ongoing for several weeks.

Republicans have indicated a few times that Congress might end up in a stalemate, in which case it would likely approve another short-term extension of highway spending authority before that authority expires on June 30.