Things are really starting to move on the Federal Transportation Bill front. This morning, Transportation Issues Daily says House Republican leadership subdivided the transportation bill into three bills: transportation, energy (expanded oil/gas drilling) and funding offsets. That means there will be three separate votes on these bills. Afterwards though, they’ll be cobbled back together and sent over to the Senate as one bill again.
According to House Speaker John Boehner, this is an attempt to “pass bills in a more transparent manner and reverse the era of quickly moving massive bills…without proper examination.”
Opponents of the bill will certainly echo Rahall’s comments and call for revisions to the bill.
The Rules Committee is meeting late Tuesday and on Wednesday to determine the debate and voting rules for proceeding with the three bills and amendments.