TheWeekInCongress.com

Week Ending April, 30, 2004

HR 2219 Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2004

BRIEF

HR 2219 Extends the time in which both houses have to come to conference and complete the transportation funding bill that pays for refurbishment of existing transportation infrastructure and new construction.

   Final consideration of the bill was extended for five months until February 29. This extension would give Congress until June to work out their differences.

   The contention over the bill has hinged on the President’s unwillingness to sign a bill that is more than $256 billion and the House and Senate versions that are both greater than the President’s amount at $284 billion and $318 billion, respectively.

   Both houses have passed their versions. The conference will attempt to smooth out any differences between the bills, differences that are mostly dollar amounts, and bring the spending closer to an amount the President will approve.

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