R.G. Edmonson | Feb 25, 2010 10:58AM EST
Rep. James L. Oberstar, D-Minn., says there are not enough votes in the House to approve a jobs bill that passed the Senate by an overwhelming margin on Thursday, saying the measure tramples on existing transportation spending plans.
Oberstar, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, is opposed to provisions in the $15 billion Senate bill that change the federal highway funding formula to benefit California and three other states.
The jobs bill includes an additional extension of the highway spending program called SAFETEA-LU, which expired last September and had been extended to Feb. 28. Without the extension, many states will be forced to suspend federally-funded highway projects.
After the Senate’s vote on the jobs bill, Oberstar told reporters that there were “dozens and dozens” of House members who will join 23 House Democrats that have already stated their opposition to the bill.
Contact R.G. Edmonson at bedmonson@joc.com.
