U. S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) has announced that the U.S. Senate will consider legislation to fund the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) next week. The Majority Leader has been non-committal on just how much funding is available for the program, and on whether or not this will be a long-term reauthorization bill or another short-term extension.
Admittedly, Majority Leader McConnell acknowledged that finding enough funding for a six-year transportation bill as proposed by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee’s Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy (DRIVE) Act would be difficult. While much of the discussion over the length of the measure remains speculation, Congressional insiders continue to believe that there will be an adoption of an 18-month bill to fund the Highway Trust Fund through the end of 2017. At the time of this writing, it remains unclear if the bill will simply extend HTF funding or also include the DRIVE Act. The House of Representatives has not set a timetable for its consideration of highway legislation, and Congress must act to pass an extension by July 31, 2015 to prevent a shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund.