Transportation and Infrastructure

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

The House on Friday rejected a Republican proposal to instruct House negotiators on the highway bill to insist that the bill spend only the money collected through the gas tax on highway spending.

The motion to instruct conferees, from Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.), was defeated 82-323, as Republicans opposed it by a margin of 82-145.

A late-night debate over whether to drastically shrink federal highway spending in 2013 turned ugly just after 11 p.m., when a House Democrat accused a Republican and former U.S. Marine of hating America.

Members were debating a motion to instruct House conferees to push for a cap on federal highway spending of $37.5 billion for 2013, from Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.). That would take spending to a point well below what Senate Democrats have proposed in their bill — the Senate bill would spend $109 billion over two years.

The House on Thursday voted down a proposal that would have stripped Transportation Security Administration (TSA) airport screeners of badges, shields and policeman-like uniforms, despite growing complaints that some screeners are abusing the perception that they are trained officers of the law.

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) proposed the language as an amendment to the Department of Homeland Security spending bill. The amendment would have prohibited the department from spending any money to provide TSA screeners with official-looking uniforms.

The House passed a motion on Wednesday that instructs House conferees to the highway bill that they should accept language guaranteeing that each state receives more guaranteed highway money from the federal government.

Members approved a motion to instruct from Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) by a 259-154 vote.

The majority leader hints Republicans would look for a short-term deal to prevent funds from being blocked.

The House this week will approve legislation requiring the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to comply with a federal law that prohibits discrimination against employees who have military service obligations.

Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) introduced H.R. 3670, which would require TSA to comply with the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act (USERRA). That law protects the employment rights of service members who are called up to active duty, giving them the right to return to their job and not lose seniority following a tour of duty.

Supporters of an anti-suicide net or barrier on San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge are hoping that Senate Environment & Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) is able to include language in the pending highway bill that authorizes the project.

The San Francisco Examiner is reporting that, after decades of trying, proponents of the project could be closer than ever, since Boxer is a key Senate negotiator of the highway bill and she supports the addition. The Senate approved a two-year highway bill and is negotiating with the House, which most recently approved an extension until the end of the fiscal year.

Only 26 Democrats went on record with support for the pipeline project, a smaller tally than Republicans have been touting.

The House is expected to approve legislation next week that would authorize the expansion of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in the form of an addition to the south end of the building.

The John F. Kennedy Center Reauthorization Act, H.R. 4097, would allow an addition of less than 100,000 square feet, but would require all construction costs to come from private donations. The bill does, however, allow the Kennedy Center board to request annual appropriations for operations and maintenance costs of the addition.