Congress set to approve highway-transit bill

After nearly two years of funding extensions, negotiations and political controversy, congress reached an agreement this week on a $286.5 billion highway and public transit bill.

The bill exceeds the $284 billion that President Bush had set as his spending limit, but the White House is expected to avoid a veto controversy, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The agreement comes nearly two years after the last big transportation bill expired in September 2003. That bill provided $218 billion over six years.

This new legislation will cover the period from fiscal year 2004 to fiscal year 2009.