AASHTO Journal, 6 September 2013
After a five-week recess, the House and Senate return to Washington next week to deal with an array of issues, including the situation in Syria and budget issues, as Sept. 30 marks the end of the current fiscal year. Transportation issues will likely also be a part of those discussions.
Last month, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Bill Shuster (R-PA) said he expected debate to begin on the Water Resources Reform and Development Act in September, with full action taking place in October (see related AASHTO Journal story here).
According to Politico’s Morning Transportation Update on Tuesday, WRRDA could still move on Shuster’s schedule. Shuster told Politico that he has floor time in “early October” for the WRRDA bill and he still plans on holding a committee markup this month.
The Senate passed its own Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) in May, a $12 billion bill drafted by Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Chair Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Ranking Member David Vitter (R-LA). The bill, like the one by Shuster, also focuses on faster project delivery through new streamlining provisions. The Senate bill also includes other points such as deepening harbors across the country to accommodate the deeper-draft vessels expected in the wake of the expansion of the Panama Canal, replacing earmarks with a new process that gives more project selection authority to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and increasing Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund spending, as it has been taking more into the account than it has been utilizing.
And, while Congress will focus its immediate attention on action in Syria and the looming fiscal deadline on Sept. 30, those in the House and Senate will also be looking ahead to other transportation issues, such as the September 2014 expiration of the current surface transportation bill, MAP-21.