Transportation Bill Could Face Months-Long Delay

The federal transportation bill seems unlikely to pass any time soon, according to legislators. They have yet to reach any consensus about the mechanisms for funding the bill.

1 minute read

July 25, 2009, 11:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


The federal government currently budgets about $50 billion a year for transportation, a figure the proposed bill seeks to boost. The increase is causing some lawmakers to delay the bill over questions about how the money will be raised.

"The transportation bill would channel $450 billion in funds to states over six years to upgrade roads, bridges and transit systems. The total would include $70 billion each year to spend on highway and mass transit systems.

'It's extraordinarily unlikely' the bill would pass before October, said Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D., Ore.), a leading proponent of the measure."

Thursday, July 23, 2009 in The Wall Street Journal

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