Uncertainty hangs over infrastructure bill

Time is running out for the House to pass an infrastructure bill before the current surface reauthorization expires at the end of September.

However, it is unclear if the House will be able to meet that deadline.

House Leader Nancy Pelosi said early Wednesday that she still plans to hold a vote Thursday, Sept. 30 on the Senate-approved infrastructure bill, but The Hill reported later Wednesday that the vote was expected to be postponed.

The conflict stems from within the Democratic Party over the infrastructure bill and a $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation measure. According to multiple reports, moderates are threatening to withhold support of the budget bill and progressives are threatening to vote against the infrastructure bill until the budget bill passes the House and Senate.

“We are now less than 36 hours away from two critical government funding and authorization deadlines expiring here in Washington that could have some effects for the transportation and trucking industries and pretty much everyone out there,” said Jay Grimes, OOIDA’s director of federal affairs.

Grimes said it is not clear if the House has the votes to pass the infrastructure bill. He said one possible solution is to get a short-term extension of the FAST Act.  

“Hopefully, we’ll get some actions to avert a shutdown and lapses in authorization and appropriations,” Grimes said.

The infrastructure bill includes $550 billion in new spending on roads, bridges, airports, ports, electric vehicle charging stations, internet, water systems, and other infrastructure needs. About $110 billion would go toward roads and bridges.

The bill, however, failed to dedicate any money toward truck parking. OOIDA cited the decision not to include funding for truck parking as a major reason OOIDA did not support the bill.

Outlining the trucking provisions in the bill, OOIDA said some of the measures it favored included improving the National Consumer Complaint Database and the establishment of a Truck Leasing Task Force. OOIDA listed some of the negative provisions as a congestion relief program, a pilot program for under-21 drivers, and moves toward mandates for automatic emergency braking and underride guards. LL