House Amends HIRE Act to Pay for Jobs

The House, by a 217-212 margin, approved the $15 billion Senate-drafted Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act, which includes provisions to extend existing highway programs until Dec. 31.

The House added amendments, which will require Senate concurrence, to ensure that the jobs portions of the bill were paid for, answering objections similar to those raised by Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., who held up approval of a short-term extension of federal transportation funding past a Feb. 28 deadline. Congress has until the end of March to complete this bill before the highway programs expire again.

The bill also includes authority for a $20 billion transfer from general revenue to the Highway Trust Fund, which would otherwise be depleted by June.

Contact R.G. Edmonson at bedmonson@joc.com.