R.G. Edmonson | Sep 12, 2011 5:54PM EDT
Leadership in the House and Senate reached agreement Monday on plans to extend highway and aviation spending for four months by providing $26 billion for the programs, averting an immediate repeat of the political confrontations that nearly shut down the government and did shut down some aviation programs over the summer.
A proposed bill going before Congress includes none of the policy issues that sharply divided Republicans and Democrats, causing the Federal Aviation Administration to partially shutdown last month. The bill also would extend the existing surface transportation spending law for six months and authorizes spending nearly $23 billion from the Highway Trust Fund.
The bill will also extend the Department of Transportation’s authority to collect fuel taxes for the Highway Trust Fund and aviation excise taxes. There have been suggestions in Washington that some Republicans could seek to halt the renewal of the federal fuel tax.
If passed, the bill will extend FAA authorization for the 22nd time since the law expired in 2007.
-- Contact R.G. Edmonson at bedmonson@joc.com.
