The Senate, 50-47, cleared an amendment proposed by Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on Tuesday that would bar privatized highways that make cash payouts to states from receiving federal transportation funds.

The Senate killed an amendment to return to states most of the money collected from the gas tax on a wide bipartisan basis on Tuesday.

Your morning transportation speed-read:

California’s Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Authority is planning to expand to San Jose.

Massachusetts state lawmakers want to reimburse commuter train riders for delays on railways in Boston.

A Delta Airlines jet rolled off the runway at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

German automaker BMW is aiming to sell 2 million cars in 2016.

The Senate meets at 10 a.m., and at noon will hold two roll call votes on amendments to the transportation authorization bill, S. 1813.

The first amendment (#1756) is from Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and would give states more flexibility to spend highway dollars, by giving them the authority to control all funds that are not within the direct purview of the federal government.

Monday’s efforts were the latest in an aggressive messaging blitz on the administration's energy policy.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Monday that his former colleagues in the House of Representatives were in "disarray" in their effort to pass a new federal transportation bill.

LaHood said during a speech at the National League of Cities conference in Washington that he was confident the Senate the would pass its $109 billion transportation as early as this week.

But LaHood, who served in the House for 14 years before joining President Obama's Cabinet, would offer no similar prediction for his former colleagues in the House.

"I don't even know what bill they're taking up," LaHood told reporters after his speech about the prospects for approval of a new transportation measure in the House. 

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Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) predicted on Monday afternoon that an amendment to the highway bill creating a new tax incentive for companies to use natural-gas-powered vehicles will probably not pass the Senate this week.

"This is the first chance to come to the Senate floor and have a vote," Burr said of the amendment. "And you know what? It's probably is not going to pass. That's the disappointing thing of it."

Blogger Jonathan Corbett posted a video last week claiming prohibited items can easily be hidden from X-ray body scanners.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar took to the White House briefing room Monday to defend President Obama’s energy policies.