Senate approves $320 billion reauthorization bill

The Senate on Thursday approved a $320 billion transportation bill that would include a guaranteed $56.5 billion for transit over its six-year span. However, the Senate's TEA 21 reauthorization bill, S 1072, faces opposition from the Bush Administration, which has said it wants to cap the bill at $256 billion and has threatened a veto. The Senate approved its bill in 76-21 vote, with nine more votes than the two-thirds needed to override the threatened veto. Meanwhile, the House is still working on its version of the bill. The American Public Transportation Association reports that the House may prefer a simple two-year bill rather than accept a bill in the $256 billion range supported by the White House.