Transportation and Infrastructure

The House late Tuesday rejected a Democratic proposal to instruct the House to accept the Senate's highway bill.

House Minority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) raised the motion last week, when it was debated, but it was expected to fail given House GOP opposition to the Senate bill. The House turned away Hoyer's motion to instruct by a 172-225 vote.

The House rejected a Democratic attempt to keep lawmakers working on 2013 spending bills though the July 4 break.

Reid voiced optimism Congress will complete work on a student loan bill and highway funding.

The House this week plans to pass a handful of bills aimed at requiring improved coordination between the federal and state governments on port security, and an assessment of remaining security gaps at ports.

The Securing Maritime Activities Through Risk-based Targeting for Port Security Act, from Rep. Candice Miller (R-Mich.), would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Coast Guard to cooperate more in their efforts to ensure port security. It would also boost measures overseas to ensure safer cargo, and encourage more cooperation between the federal and local levels.

The House next week is expected to take up two bills that would continue the GOP's trend of seeking cuts to 2013 spending levels.

The Transportation and Housing and Urban Development spending bill, H.R. 5972, would cut $3.9 billion from current levels, and spend a total of $51.6 billion in the next year. The bill is expected to face vocal opposition from Democrats, who are pressing for higher spending levels, particularly in the area of transportation infrastructure upkeep.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said the House would continue to press for repeal of the 2010 healthcare law if the Supreme Court allows it to live on.

"If the court does not strike down the bill in its entirely, the gentleman knows, our conference is fully committed to repeal — total repeal — of the ObamaCare bill," Cantor said on the House floor in a discussion with House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). "In July, we will continue to focus on that bill and its impact on employers."

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 voted 386-34 on Wednesday to instruct conferees to the House-Senate negotiations on a highway bill to finish their work by Friday.

The vote is the latest attempt by House members to influence the ongoing talks, although the move is largely seen as symbolic and the vote is nonbinding.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) traded accusations over the talks.

"I put everyone on notice: We are going to move to this bill” soon, the Senate majority leader said.