House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, R-IL, said March 12 he had informed President Bush the House would move a $275 billion, six-year surface transportation reauthorization bill.

In a March 11 meeting with reporters, Hastert said, “If you are from a northern state, highway bids will be let this spring so we can get highway work done. We need to get the highway bill done. My druthers is to get a six-year bill done so there is a certainty.

“Also, I think it is an advantage for us to go to the Senate if we have a six-year bill. I think it is easier for us to negotiate that in conference. So we are working on that process as well, and the numbers have to be something that we can get passed in the House that won't get vetoed and that we can negotiate with the Senate.”

The House measure is almost $20 billion more than the president originally requested but close to the $270 billion the administration later signaled Bush could accept. Hastert said he was not told the White House would veto the House bill.

The Senate last month passed a $318 billion version (S. 1072) of the highway and mass transit bill. Hastert said that the bill he intends to move will take care of roads and bridges, and that he will now only talk with Bush, because some numbers provided by administration officials didn’t add up.

“We weren't getting straight numbers from his people, and they changed their mind in the middle of the process. So we are going to do what we feel we need to do,” Hastert said.