House Fails to Make Counter-Offer in Transport Bill Conference
Congressional negotiations over a new, long-term transportation spending bill hit a snag July 7 when the House failed to put a counter-offer on the bill's overall funding on the table. At the conferees' previous meeting, held June 23, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman James Inhofe (R-Okla.) proposed that the House accept the Senate's $318-billion funding level. But the lead House conferee, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Don Young (R-Alaska) said he was unable to respond to Inhofe's proposal but hoped to do so in the "near future."
That triggered criticism from a senior Democratic conferee, Harry Reid of Nevada, who predicted that the lawmakers would be unable to reach agreement on a multi-year bill. "It's very obvious that the House can't come up with a number." Reid said, "I'm terribly disappointed in what is taking place."