The U.S. House and Senate approved another extension of the highway bill in the late night hours of July 22, congressional officials told Land Line.

A statement from the House Transportation Committee indicated that the latest extension would continue funding for highway construction, highway safety, transit, motor carrier, and surface transportation research programs at the levels approved in the last budget.

Funding for federal highway programs will be extended through Sept. 24, and funding for federal transit, highway safety and motor carrier safety programs is covered through Sept. 30. The last extension was set to run out July 31.

The latest extension – the fifth – will mean funding has been continued for an entire year since the original $218 billion legislation expired Sept. 30, 2003. Since then, the three parties negotiating a new highway bill – President George W. Bush, the House and the Senate – have each made the case for their own preferred funding levels. The president said earlier he favored a $256 billion plan; the House earlier approved a $283 billion plan; and the Senate passed a $318 billion proposal.

The extension approved July 22 was needed because members of Congress were about to leave on a 40- to 45-day break, during which many will be campaigning for re-election in their home districts.

Todd Spencer, executive vice president of OOIDA, said that break is “an opportunity for truckers to talk to lawmakers in the home districts about the toll road issue.”

Because they are running for re-election and looking to pick up votes wherever they can, they are expected to be particularly receptive to what constituents have to say.

The Senate version of the highway bill contains a provision that would allow tolls to be collected on existing interstate highways. OOIDA has consistently lobbied against the provision, and successfully supported an amendment by Rep. Mark Kennedy, R-MN, that would allow tolling only on newly constructed highway capacity.

However, Spencer said that until the amount of funding has been worked out, little else would be decided.

“If they haven’t agreed on money the staff won’t be paying much attention to this bill because they don’t have the money worked out,” he said. “It won’t be a priority.”

At this point, the money issue doesn’t look any closer to being solved. Congressional Quarterly reported recently that House members presented the conference committee, which is working out differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill, with a $299 billion version. However, Sen. James M. Inhofe, R-OK, who leads the Senate delegation, rejected the offer.

Meanwhile, OOIDA is continuing to ask members to fax, write, e-mail and call their elected officials and urge them to reject provisions in Section 1609 of the Senate bill that allow states to begin collecting tolls on existing interstate highways.

OOIDA opposes all new highway tolls except those proposed in Section 1603 of the House bill. The tolls provided for in Section 1603 are acceptable to OOIDA members because they are voluntary, may only be used to fund the construction of new highway lanes and expire after paying for the construction of those new lanes.

OOIDA opposes Sections 1604, “Toll Feasibility,” and 1605, “Use of Excess Funds,” of the House bill and opposes Section 1609 of the Senate bill, titled “Toll programs.”

- by Mark H. Reddig, associate editor

Mark Reddig can be reached at mark_reddig@landlinemag.com.