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Why the highway bill matters
Why the highway bill matters
By Steve Benen
It's been an unusually busy afternoon for the U.S. Senate. A deal was struck on judicial nominees; the "JOBS Act" is set to advance; and an important highway cleared the chamber with ease.
Though the bill had broad, bipartisan support, all 22 of the senators who voted against the bill were Republicans.
Ordinarily at this point, easy Senate passage of the highway bill would lead to a lot of sighs of relief. After all, the highway bill is critically important to financing infrastructure projects nationwide, and is usually one of the year's least-contentious legislative fights. Everyone knows this bill has to pass.
But with the Republican caucuses moving so sharply to the right, this year is ... tricky. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) made his transportation bill one of his top 2012 priorities, only to see it fail spectacularly. The Speaker instead signaled last week he'd try again with the Senate bill once it passes.
- more -
http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/14/10688418-why-the-highway-bill-matters
By Steve Benen
It's been an unusually busy afternoon for the U.S. Senate. A deal was struck on judicial nominees; the "JOBS Act" is set to advance; and an important highway cleared the chamber with ease.
A two-year, $109 billion measure providing federal funding for the nation's roads, rails bridges and airports for the next two years passed the Senate on a 74 to 22 vote Wednesday with broad bipartisan support. [...]
The Senate bill's supporters -- Democrats, Republicans, labor unions and business groups -- say the bill will help create or sustain almost 3 million jobs, mostly in the construction industry.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for the Senate and a great accomplishment for our country," Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) said, heralding the fact that one of the chamber's most liberal members -- Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) --and one of its most conservative -- James Inhoffe (R-Okla.) -- joined together to draft the bill.
The Senate bill's supporters -- Democrats, Republicans, labor unions and business groups -- say the bill will help create or sustain almost 3 million jobs, mostly in the construction industry.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for the Senate and a great accomplishment for our country," Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) said, heralding the fact that one of the chamber's most liberal members -- Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) --and one of its most conservative -- James Inhoffe (R-Okla.) -- joined together to draft the bill.
Though the bill had broad, bipartisan support, all 22 of the senators who voted against the bill were Republicans.
Ordinarily at this point, easy Senate passage of the highway bill would lead to a lot of sighs of relief. After all, the highway bill is critically important to financing infrastructure projects nationwide, and is usually one of the year's least-contentious legislative fights. Everyone knows this bill has to pass.
But with the Republican caucuses moving so sharply to the right, this year is ... tricky. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) made his transportation bill one of his top 2012 priorities, only to see it fail spectacularly. The Speaker instead signaled last week he'd try again with the Senate bill once it passes.
- more -
http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/14/10688418-why-the-highway-bill-matters
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