Averting an April 30 shutdown of federal transportation programs, the Senate has approved legislation that keeps highway and transit aid flowing for two more months. Senate passage of the bill,which came by unanimous consent on April 29, is final congressional action on the bill. It now goes to President Bush for his signature.
The measure, which the House had approved, 410-0, a day earlier, authorizes surface transportation programs at current funding levels through June 30.It is the third extension since Sept. 30, when the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) expired. The House and Senate also have passed differing versions of a six-year reathorization, but there has been no formal meeting yet of House and Senate negotiators to reconcile those two bills.