Washington, DC – Today, the Ways and Means Committee passed by voice vote a bill that would provide nearly $11 billion for highway funding – allowing projects to move forward through May 31, 2015.  Legislation that will be considered by the Senate Finance Committee this afternoon would provide a nearly identical amount of funding.  

The Ways and Means package contains three policies (pension smoothing, customs user fees and a transfer from the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund) and remains the only plan that has a history of receiving broad, bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.  The House is expected to vote on the measure next week.  

Following the bipartisan Committee vote, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) issued the following statement.

“This bipartisan legislation ensures stable funding for the Highway Trust Fund, and the Senate proposal matches our amount of funding.  Given that the Senate has repeatedly backed these policies before, I urge my Senate colleagues to quickly take up this bill after it passes the House next week and avoid any brinksmanship.  There is no need to jeopardize critical road and transit projects, let alone the thousands of jobs they provide.  The House and Senate can easily pass this legislation.

“I commend Chairman Wyden and Senator Hatch for putting together a bill that provides roughly $11 billion, as we did, for transportation projects.  However, as I told the Senators, I do not support, and the House will not support, billions of dollars in higher taxes to pay for more spending.  And, I certainly do not support permanent tax increases to pay for just 10 months of highway programs.  Furthermore, it is inconceivable that the House would, as the Senate proposes to do, grant the IRS additional authority to audit and investigate taxpayers simply so Washington can spend more money.”

###