U.S. House extends funding for highway, transit

The House unanimously approved a five-month extension for federal funding of highway and transit programs because lawmakers have been unable to agree on a new spending plan. The extension provides over $14 billion in contract authority to the states to continue the federal highway program and over $3 billion to continue grants to transit agencies around the country. The six-year highway and transit funding bill, TEA 21, expires on Sept. 30. The extension (H.R. 3087) will continue federal funding for TEA 21 programs through Feb. 29, 2004. "This stopgap measure is needed to give the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and our colleagues on the Senate authorizing committees time to finalize a long-term surface transportation authorization bill," said U.S. Rep. Tom Petri (R-WI). The extension also provides $142 million for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and $125 million to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Senate is expected to approve the House version of the funding extension.