Highway bill conferees are finalizing details for the massive $286.5 billion bill to go to the House and Senate floors for approval, according to the Associated Press. Darrin Roth, director of highway operations for the American Trucking Assns. (ATA) told Fleet Owner that he expects a “smooth” passage of the highway bill by the end of this week.
The House and Senate must approve the bill before it is sent to President George W. Bush, who is expected to sign the bill into law. The House and Senate plan to vote by the end of the week, before the five-week Congressional recess begins.
“Obviously [President Bush] has been pretty staunch about the $284 billion number [for the highway bill] but I haven’t heard any threats from the White House or the U.S. DOT lately,” said ATA’s Roth. “It sounds like it’s close enough and it seems unlikely to draw veto.”
On another legislative front, House and Senate committees have completed negotiations for the politically popular energy bill. The House and Senate must also vote upon the energy bill. If approved, it will go to the President to be signed into law.
For full text on the energy bill, go to www.house.gov/rules/hr6_textconfrept.pdf.
