Politics
Senate to move forward with transportation bill


Republicans and Democrats in the Senate agreed to move forward with negotiations on the federal highway and transportation bill.

Democrats were refusing to name negotiators for a joint Senate-House conference committee on the bill. They said they were being excluded from the actual writing of the bills.

The Senate version of the bill authorizes $318 billion while the House version authorizes $284 billion. Both are above the $256 billion mark President Bush says he will accept.

The Indian Reservation Roads program is taken from a small portion of the federal highway funds. Depending on the final bill, tribes could receive up to $1.9 billion through fiscal year 2008.

Get the Story:
Senators Agree to End Impasse on Highway Bill (The New York Times 5/20)
pwnyt

Get the Bills:
Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (H.R.3550) | S.1072 (Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2003)

Relevant Links:
TEA-21 Reauthorization - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/reauthorization
Tribal Transportation, DOT - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/natvamrc/index.htm

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Senate committee approves reservation roads bill (06/27)
Editorial: Congress needs to fund reservation roads (06/05)
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New federal highway funds bill introduced (05/15)
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