Moving to avoid harming federal highway and transit programs, the House and Senate have approved a measure to keep funds flowing for about three weeks. President Obama signed the bill into law on Oct. 29, hours before the previous authorization was to expire.
The new stopgap, which also gives railroads three more years to install new train-control systems, cleared the House on Oct. 27 and the Senate the following day. Those votes came less than a week after a key committee moved closer toward reaching the construction industry's bigger goal, approving a measure authorizing an estimated $325 billion over six years for surface transportation programs.