Congress passed a 30-day extension of surface transportation funding while the fate of the $1.2 trillion infrastructure plan remains on life support Optimism was high at the height of the summer as the Senate was able to pass a historic $1.2 trilion bipartisan infrastructure package. The Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA) would add $550 billion in new spending over five years for infrastructure, including $110 billion for roads, bridges and major transportation projects, and $25 billion for airports. The bill also featured a $118 billion bailout of the Highway Trust Fund from the Treasury’s general fund. As the deadline to pass the legislation loomed, the House delayed the vote on the Senate-passed infrastructure proposal as progressives sought an agreement on the larger piece of President Joe Biden’s economic agenda. House Democrats failed to reach an agreement that would allow the chamber to approve the $1 trillion infrastructure package and surface transportation reauthorization. As a result, lawmakers had to issue a 30-day extension of the surface highway program as the authority to spend federal highway and public transportation funds was in a temporary lapse. READ FULL ARTICLE>>
