Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) Advances Bipartisan Two-Year Highway Reauthorization
On Wednesday, November 9, 2011 the EPW Committee voted unanimously 18-0 to advance S.1813, "Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century" (MAP-21) a two-year authorization of federal highway programs at current levels, adjusted for inflation. A manager's amendment containing amendments approved by the EPW Committee leaders was agreed to by voice vote. Several senators spoke in favor of additional amendments, though none were voted on as Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) warned senators that the bipartisan committee leadership including herself, Ranking Member James Inhofe (R-OK), Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), and Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) would not support any amendments that were not contained in the manager's package.
The funding level in MAP-21 is $109 billion over two years for highway and transit funding, however the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over the financing title, is continuing its work to identify an offset for the $12 billion funding shortfall between current Highway Trust Fund (HTF) revenues and the proposal's authorized levels.
