Legislative and Executive Branch Activity
Appropriations
Both the House (H.R. 2610) and Senate (S. 1243) Transportation-HUD appropriations bills will be considered this week. In the Senate, floor debate will continue with a vote expected by the end of the week. Roughly 70 amendments have been filed to the Senate bill, including an amendment offered by Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) to prioritize proposed bridge funding for structurally deficient bridge projects in critical corridors, which was approved by voice vote. In the House, debate will begin under an open rule, which allows members to offer any germane amendment for consideration. It’s possible, however, that the House will not hold a vote on the bill’s final passage until after the August recess.
TIFIA
During a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing last week titled “Oversight Hearing on Implementation of MAP-21’s TIFIA Program Enhancements,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx stated his expectation to obligate Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) assistance for seven or more projects before the end of the 2013 calendar year – a record number for the Department of Transportation.
This Week’s Hearings:
- Wednesday, July 31: The House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation will hold a hearing titled “How to Improve the Efficiency, Safety, and Security of Maritime Transportation: Better Use and Integration of Maritime Domain Awareness Data.”
