Senate approves TEA-21 reauthorization bill
Yesterday, the Senate passed H.R. 3, its version of Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century reauthorization legislation. The $293.8 billion bill would provide $53.8 billion in federal transit funding through 2009.
Prior to passage, the Senate rejected an amendment proposed by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) that would have cut funding for the bill by more than $10 billion, including $5 billion for transit.
Last month, the House passed its version, Transportation Equity Act, A Legacy for Users (TEA-LU), which would authorize $284 billion for federal transit and highway programs, including $52.3 billion for transit.
Now, a Senate and House conference committee will try to resolve differences between the two bills.
From Progressive Railroading
So the Senate and the House would make one common Bill and send it to the President.GWB could pass it into law or he could veto it.If he vetos it, the House and Senate would make changes and try again or they could override the veto. To override would the House AND the Senate both need two thirds majority ? Canadians have a hard time with this stuff.
The full house needs 2/3’s majority to overrride on a attempt… not seperate house vote/senate vote.
2/3 majority vote each is required in House and Senate to override a veto. Considering the majority votes on these bills, this does not appear to be a problem.
On the news, I heard that the prez is threatening to veto (it would be his first!) anything over $284M. The conference committee will have an interesting time reconciling the two.
But, as usual, they will both fail to fund it. Worthless piece of paper without funding.[:(!][:(!][V]
To roughly quote former Amtrak President Paul Reistrup, “That would be the shotgun. Getting the shells is the real trick.”
Jay