Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Federal Funding

Seven Questions About the Transportation Bill Conference

The first meeting of the transportation bill conference committee started today at 3:00. (To familiarize yourself with the participants, see Ben's reports on the House and Senate conferees.) We're live-blogging it, beginning to end, on Streetsblog Capitol Hill.

It's unusual for conferences to meet in public, and leaders have indicated that this won't be the only meeting they have in front of television cameras. Still, the sausage-making always happens behind closed doors. Here's what we're looking for today:

false

Will anything come of it? "The first day will tell you exactly nothing," Scott Slesinger, NRDC's director of legislative affairs, told reporters last week. "You'll walk out of there convinced that there's no way they're going to do a bill."

In fact, the conventional wisdom right now is that this whole process will end in yet another extension, probably until the lame-duck session after the November election. But this conference committee could lay the groundwork for that bill. Both parties want to get a bill done, but Republican leaders are worried that their base will revolt at the sight of them negotiating with Democrats. So, in public they'll be all hard-line rhetoric and uncompromising conservatism, and when the cameras are off they'll horse-trade.

How strong is the Senate's hand? The House has pretty limited leverage in this process because they didn't pass a real transportation bill. The Senate is bringing to conference a bill that got a remarkable vote of confidence from senators across the political spectrum, and "the House sent over beach ball," according to NRDC's David Goldston.

"The House can't figure out how to get even its own members together so they send these partial things over to the Senate to cause trouble," said Goldston, "while the Senate has a bill that's been passed by about three-quarters of the members of the Senate and was written by [Senators Barbara] Boxer and [James] Inhofe. The fact that Boxer and Inhofe were able to write a bill together is one of the least-appreciated stories of this Congress. So, peace breaks out but people say, 'We'd rather continue to have war.' That's unfortunate."

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Albany Running Out of Options to Close MTA Funding Gap: Watchdog

Tighten the belt and give up the frills, the Citizens Budget Commission warned.

March 21, 2025

Advocates Demand New Jersey Agencies Cough Up Congestion Pricing Data

NJT and the Port Authority need to cough up some actually useful post-congestion pricing travel data, advocates on both sides of the Hudson River said.

March 21, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Fake Deadline Extended Edition

It's the first day of spring and, if you're U.S. DOT Secretary Sean Duffy, it was supposed to be the last day of congestion pricing. But it's not. Plus other news.

March 21, 2025

‘Disaster’: Outdoor Dining Snafu Could Ban Alfresco Booze For Months

It's shaping up to be a sober outdoor dining spring.

March 20, 2025

Congestion Pricing’s Big Winner? Bus Riders

Buses move faster in and around New York City ever since congestion pricing kicked in — spurring MTA officials to tweak some route schedules.

March 20, 2025
See all posts