Senate Amtrak 2015 re-authorization bill

[Anderson]

I'm really concerned that hanging all sorts of stuff like the Ex-Im Bank charter on this bill are going to screw the pooch. Ignoring the substance of those amendments, they're going to clutter House passage. Suffice it to say that McConnell is not winning much in my book.

 

[afigg]

They can always adopt the 5 month extension and then whenever the more complete bill is ready, have it supersede the remainder of the 5 moth period bill. It is not clear that they will have the stomach for conjuring up yet another bill for a shorter period. But I suppose anything is possible.

Now the House is to vote on a 3 month extension before bolting from DC. I expect the Senate will end up passing a 3 month extension as well, maybe after passing their 6 year transportation bill. One of those only on Capitol Hill things. Its not who blinks first, but which body can pass an extension and go on vacation first, forcing the other body to accept their terms or the money runs out.

TheHill.com: House to vote on three-month highway bill, break for recess.

The House plans to approve a three-month highway spending bill on Wednesday and then leave town, forcing the Senate to approve the short-term measure to prevent a lapse in funding.

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) discussed the decision with his conference at a closed door meeting on Tuesday before confirming the news to reporters.

"I want a long-term highway bill that is fully paid for," Boehner said. "That has been the goal all year and that continues to be the goal.

"We've been trying to do this for four years. It's time to get it across the finish line."

The two chambers have been battling over rival highway bills for a week, with the House preferring a five-month extension approved earlier this month over the Senate’s bill, which would fund roads and other infrastructure projects for three years.

 

[afigg]

So, after a lot of brinkmanship, the end result is a 3 month extension of transportation funding until October 29.

First, the Senate passed its transportation bill by a vote of 65 to 34. TheHill: Senate approves six-year highway bill.

Then, because the House had already bolted DC, the Senate passed a 3 month extension. TheHill: Senate sends three-month highway bill to Obama. Excerpt:

The Senate on Thursday approved an $8 billion extension of federal transportation funding, sending it to President Obama's desk with just one day to go before the nation's road and transit spending expires.

The bill, which extends infrastructure spending until Oct. 29, passed in a 91-4 vote, pushing the debate into the fall.

Obama, who has advocated for long-term extension of highway funding, is expected to sign the patch to prevent an interruption in funding during the busy summer construction season.

So, tune back in again in October as the House and Senate try to hash out a reconciled bill and, most critically, come to an agreement on how to pay for it. The House Republicans continue to be blocked by 40 or so hard liners from passing most bills, so until Boehner is ready to bypass or ignore them, gridlock will continue.

 

[jis]

Meanwhile of course they are also trying to dislodge Boehner.

 

[Bob Dylan]

We would already have the 5 year Bill if it wasn't for these 40 Know Nothing Yahoos. Boehner and the GOP House Leadership are afraid of being "Primaried" by the "Crazies" in the party, so we end up with the Tail wagging the Dog in the House!

Of course if Congress had the guts to do the sensible thing and raise the Federal Gasoline tax 25 cents a Gallon, there would be plenty of money for Infrastructure Programs.

The chances of this happening are on a par with the passage of a Resolution calling Obama the best President since Lincoln!