Attacked from the left and right sides of the ideological spectrum since its release two weeks ago, Speaker John Boehner is struggling to find the 218 votes needed to pass the House transportation bill, write Russell Berman and Keith Laing.
In spite of widespread public support for improving the nation's transportation infrastructure, the $260 billion transportation bill, which landed with a thud nearly two weeks ago, is facing stiff headwinds in the House.
For far different reasons, of course, key factions of both parties are unlikely to support the GOP drafted bill. Democrats and centrist Republicans, such as Rep. Peter King (N.Y.), take issue with funding cuts for public transportation, bike paths and pedestrians, according to the authors. Conservative GOP members, such as the Tea Party caucus, "claim the bill is an unaffordable boondoggle."
Defeat of the bill in the House would be a major blow to the Republican leadership, including Speaker Boehner, who have "made the legislation a priority and the election-year centerpiece of the House GOP's jobs agenda."
The House process stands in stark contrast to the bipartisan transportation bill moving swiftly through the Senate.
A final vote on the House bill is slated for Friday.
Read the full story: House Republicans facing big test as $260 billion highway bill heads for cliff
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Seattle passes record-breaking transit services expansion
Proposition 1 will double the city’s transit tax to add 95,000 more bus trips and preserve 180,000 bus trips annually.
Post election, Texas is no longer Musk’s 'AI oasis'
Elon Musk dolled out $446 million on the 2026 midterms, the most ever spent by a non-canidate.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority