Transportation Bill, "SAFETEA-LU," Heads for Congressional Approval
After nearly 22 months of delays and wrangling on Capitol Hill, a huge, multi-year transportation bill has won approval on Capitol Hill. Final congressional passage came in the evening of July 29, when the Senate cleared the bill on a strong 91-4 vote. Earlier that day, the House passed the measure 412-8. In a statement, President Bush congratulated the lawmakers and said he looked forward to signing the bill.
To keep highway and transit funds flowing, the House and Senate approved, and President Bush signed into law, yet another stopgap measure, which runs through July 30. This extension is the 11th such stopgap since September 2003.
The new bill is titled "SAFETEA-LU," for the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users," which merges the Bush administration and Senate-passed "SAFETEA" and the House-approved "TEA-LU." The "Lu" in the House version also is the name of the wife House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Don Young (R-Alaska), the bill's main sponsor in that chamber.