Highways, Bridges and Roads

Lawmakers in the Senate and proponents of the chamber's approach to a new federal surface transportation bill made the case Thursday for a shorter bill that does more than a longer measure that locks in reduced spending.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee began debating the two-year, $109 billion proposal put forward by Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) Thursday. Boxer said that was more preferable than the six-year, $230 billion measure that has emerged from the House GOP, even as she touted bipartisanship on the bill from Republicans on her committee.

"This is one of those investments that the dividends paid are very clear," Boxer said.

"If we fail to act, we are inviting unemployment," she continued later in the meeting. "It's not like we don't know. It's not like we're walking blindly into something. We know."

Much of the discussion thus far about a new federal surface transportation bill has focused on the House, but the Senate will discuss its proposal Thursday morning.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will meet Thursday to begin debate on the two-year, $109 billion bill that has been proposed by committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.).

In contrast, the Republican-led House has said it would move forward with a smaller per-year but longer-running spending bill. The House GOP measure would spend $230 billion on transportation projects over six years.

As the House prepares to vote Wednesday on the latest short-term funding bill for the Federal Aviation Administration, the White House said lawmakers should approve it without provisions that have been added by Republicans in the chamber.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) said last week that he was filing the 21st consecutive short-term measure to fund the FAA with negotiations on a longer bill with the Senate bogged down. 

But Mica's bill this time added changes to the Essential Air Service program that are still being hammered out in negotiations.
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The conservative website RedState.com said Monday that complaints about the Republican proposal for a new federal highway bill were coming from an "unholy alliance of Big Labor and Big Business to raise taxes."

The Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO have both sharply criticized the proposal from House Republicans to spend $230 billion over six years on a new Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, or SAFETEA-LU, transportation bill.

But RedState said Monday the plan, introduced by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.), showed "a new spirit of fiscal discipline" was gaining traction into Washington, and should be praised.

"Unfortunately, along with the Democrats, labor unions, and usual rent-seeking parasites, the Chamber of Commerce is condemning the new austerity measures in transportation funding," the website said. "Concurrently, they are calling for an increase in gas taxes to fund their construction projects that are either gratuitous or should be funded by the localities that so desire them."

With its legal complaint against airplane manufacturer Boeing under intense scrutiny from Republicans, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) will hold hearings this week on changes it is proposing to its oversight of union election rules.

The NLRB, which has drawn criticism from the GOP for alleging that Boeing decided to build a plant in South Carolina to retaliate for strikes by workers in Washington state, is proposing several changes it says will streamline labor votes.

The proposed changes include allowing for electronic filings for petitions and other court documents and requiring parties to more quickly identify issues and provide evidence when they file complaints.

"One of the most important duties of the National Labor Relations Board is conducting secret-ballot elections to determine whether employees want to be represented by a labor union," NLRB Chairwoman Wilma Liebman said in a statement about the proposed changes. "Resolving representation questions quickly, fairly, and accurately has been an overriding goal of American labor law for more than 75 years."

The Chamber of Commerce's criticism of the House Republican proposal for a new federal highway bill was "disappointing" and "a potential setback" to enacting the bill, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) told the organization that is usually a GOP ally this week.

In a letter to Chamber President Thomas Donohue that was obtained Friday by The Hill, Mica said the Chamber should recognize the political climate surrounding his proposal for a six-year, $230 billion Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, or SAFETEA-LU, transportation bill.

"During my years of service on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I have seen the National Chamber of Commerce evolve from an association that would advocate strong infrastructure and responsible fiscal policy on behalf of its members to an organization whose primary purpose in the national infrastructure arena appears to be to lead the lobby for tax increases," Mica wrote.

"It is unfortunate that is necessary for me to send this letter and express my dismay with the direction the Chamber has taken at such an important juncture in moving forward with something so critical to our economy and business community," he said. "The American people sent a clear message in elected a U.S. House to change the way business is conducted. Thanks to recent and coming elections, the priorities of the American Taxpayer have been and will be place ahead of the unchecked desires of some in Washington to spend money that is borrowed to support our Treasury."

Your morning transportation speed-read:

A man was arrested for skinny-dipping near New York's John F. Kennedy airport.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) supports the Republican surface transportation bill proposal, even though it would cut funding to his state.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood's plan to mediate a disagreement on Washington, D.C.'s MetroRail expansion to Dulles International Airport is being met with skepticism.

Officials are trying to convince riders that Amtrak's Downeaster route is safe after a train hit a truck on the route.

Your morning transportation speed-read:

A United Airlines passenger reached 10 million frequent flyer miles.

The FBI is now investigating a stun gun that was found on a Jet Blue plane.

Glenn Beck says Texas has the best highways in America.

Orlando, Fla.'s Disney World is cutting the hours of its Monorail.

Democrats criticized Rep. Mica's proposed $230 billion highway bill, saying it did not spend enough to spur the economy.

Making the case that it was important for Congress to agree on a deal to raise the federal debt ceiling, President Obama said Monday that doing so could free lawmakers to consider other job creation ideas, such as the infrastructure bank proposed by Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas).

Speaking at the end of a roughly 40-minute news conference Friday against a backdrop of last week's smaller-than-expected job growth report, Obama again made the case for the infrastructure bank.

"The infrastructure bank that we've proposed is relatively small," he said. "But could we imagine a project where we're rebuilding roads, bridges and ports and schools and broadband lines and smart-grids and taking all those construction workers and putting them back to work right now?