Senate passes long-term transportation bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Senate passed a long-term transportation bill Thursday on a 65-34 vote with bipartisan support, Associated Press reported.

The $350 billion long-term bill would make changes to highway, transit, railroad and auto safety programs, but will only pay for the first three years of the six-year bill, the report said.

Immediately after the vote, the Senate turned to a three-month patch previously passed by the House that extends the government's authority to process highway and transit aid payments to states through Oct. 29. Without congressional action, that authority expires at midnight Friday. House Republican leaders opted for the patch to give themselves more time to work on a long-term — and long-sought — transportation bill, according to the AP report.

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