TEA 21 Short-Term Extension Bill Passes!
February 27, 2004
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The current TEA 21 extension bill expires midnight Sunday.
Last night, the House of Representatives passed a new TEA 21 two-month extension
bill (H.R. 3850). The House then adjourned for the weekend, which means the
Senate today either had to approve the House bill without change and send
it to the President, or have federal surface transportation programs shut
down at midnight Sunday.
This morning, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) asked unanimous consent to bring up and pass the two-month extension bill, H.R. 3850. Senators McCain (R-AZ) and Lieberman (D-CT) objected; they wanted to attach an amendment extending the expiration date of the independent commission investigating the 9/11 attacks.
Senator Frist noted that some 5,000 DOT employees would have been furloughed on Monday if Senators McCain and Lieberman did not relent. After a day of negotiations, a compromise on the 9/11 commission issue was reached and the Senate today passed the extension bill and sent it to the President, who will sign it. There will thus be no shut down of federal transportation programs Monday.
In the meantime, negotiations continue in the House on a
six-year TEA 21 reauthorization bill. For more information, please contact
APTA's Rob Healy at (202) 496-4811 or rhealy@apta.com.
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Action Call!
TEA 21 reauthorization remains fluid as the House leadership discusses
the size of a bill and continues to negotiate with the White House
over the veto threat. Continue to urge the members in your congressional
delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives to support reauthorization
of TEA 21 at guaranteed levels for transit no less than those in the
Senate-passed bill (S.1072) - $56.5 billion. APTA's Legislative Conference, March 7-9, is more important than
ever. We need you here to make the case for Reauthorization Now!
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