Congress

The benefits, which allow for up to $230 a month of pretax income to be set aside for transit commuting, may dip to just $125 a month if Congress does not decide on an extension by the end of the month.

Congressional support for transportation and infrastructure projects has traditionally been bipartisan. In an interview, Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon discusses how political tantrums in Congress may handicap the US in the long run.

Congress is likely to stop funding Save America's Treasures, a project that had contributed hundreds of millions of dollars for historic preservation efforts.

The highest gas prices since the summer of 2008 have the two political parties taking separate approaches toward the oil industry - each showing how effective they are at killing each other's plans.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa recently visited Washington D.C. to discuss his plans for expedited transit projects in L.A., but the new congressional leadership is not as supportive as the old.

As the Tea Party prepares to move into its new seats in the Congress, many are left wondering what impact they will have on urban issues and legislation.

The mid-term elections have created even more uncertainty for the Livable Communities Act, which has stalled in the House and has yet to be taken up by the full Senate. Critics worry about government spending and housing affordability.

A bill working its way through congress seeks to institute more "livable communities" in America. But with few mandates, it's unclear what the bill would actually do.

Grist talks with Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon about congressional efforts to integrate ideas of livability into communities and policy.

National Journal asks its panel of transportation experts whether mass transit agencies really deserve $2 billion in emergency operating aid.

America's transportation system is in trouble, according to many experts. But action at the congressional level doesn't seem to recognize the importance of the problem, writes Neal Peirce.

Officials in big cities are expressing disappointment that the House-approved climate bill looks to state capitals for guidance, not the metropolitan areas the bill will largely impact.

The recently passed House climate bill only dedicates 1 percent of funding to public transportation projects. Some are arguing that needs to be increased when the bill heads to the Senate.

Reps. Mack (CA), Kirk (IL) and Reichert (WA) are among a small group of Republicans who voted for the recent climate change bill. It turns out these eight are also supporters of transit. Streetsblog makes the connection.

The Democrats of the U.S. House of Representatives have passed a bill that would create a green school building program in the U.S., investing more than $6 billion in its first year to build more environmentally friendly schools.

Governors Rendell and Schwarzenegger are imploring President Obama to take the lead on national infrastructure policy, rather than allowing earmarks to guide projects.

In this testimonial to Congress, the Brookings Institution's Robert Puentes argues that housing and transportation are irreversibly linked and that, in the face of the current recession, more integrated planning is needed.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) has been selected by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to lead a campaign to 'Renew and Rebuild America.'