Dems want bipartisan action on highways

Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee want their GOP colleagues to get moving on potential solutions to finance highway projects. 

Sen. Ron Wyden (Ore.), the top Democrat on the Finance panel, and the 11 other Democrats on the committee urged Republicans in a Tuesday letter to start holding hearings and bipartisan meetings on how to shore up the Highway Trust Fund.

{mosads}In their letter, the Democrats – among them, Sen. Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), the party’s next leader in the Senate –  noted that they did convene those sorts of meetings and hearings last year, when they were in charge and Congress last faced this problem.

“Rather than start from scratch, let’s build on the extensive bipartisan work that has already been done, which can serve as a foundation as we work together to find a solution for a long-term transportation bill,” the Democrats wrote to Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah).

The letter comes as senior leaders on both the Finance panel and the House Ways and Means Committee are devoting most of their energy to trade, and a measure to give President Obama “fast-track” authority.

But ensuring that transportation projects don’t dry up is a bipartisan concern. The highway fund is expected to have money into the summer, even though the transportation program’s authority is set to expire at the end of May. Still, the Democrats noted in their Tuesday letter that four states have already decided against starting new highway projects because of the uncertainty surrounding the program’s finances.

Top Republicans like House Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) have floated the idea of a short-term patch for the Highway Trust Fund, to ensure that projects are financed throughout the busy summer months.

Administration officials have called for using funds from business tax reform to boost highway funding. But Republicans and Democrats remain divided over revamping the tax code, and lawmakers would likely need to find a temporary patch as they worked toward tax reform.

Last year’s debate over highway funding was one of Wyden’s first tests as Finance chairman, and the Oregon Democrat came under some criticism for his handling of the debate.