After more than two years of twists and turns, false starts and a near-stop, House and Senate lawmakers are getting ready to begin negotiations on a new surface-transportation authorization bill.
The House opened the door to a joint conference committee with the Senate on April 18, when it approved a three-month highway-transit bill. House negotiators will bring that measure to the table; Senate negotiators will bring the two-year, $109-billion bill that it passed in March.