Senate Finance Committee Delays Highway Trust Fund Patch Vote

Delay allows republicans more time to develop alternatives to Chairman Ron Wyden's $9 billion patch

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The Senate Finance Committee had planned to hold a markup of Chairman Ron Wyden's (D-Ore.) $9 billion Highway Trust Fund patch; however, at the request of ranking republican member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Chairman Wyden suspended the markup to allow republicans more time to develop alternatives to his proposal. Republicans remained focused on finding spending cuts to offset the patch and would like more time to negotiate with democrats to forge a bipartisan compromise. The second part of the markup  may happen the week of July 7.

Although the markup did not include any votes or debate on amendments, it did incorporate modifications to Wyden's original proposal, including several changes sought by Republicans.

AGC and colleagues in the Transportation Construction Coalition and the Americans for Transportation Mobility sent a letter urging that the committee act in a bipartisan manner to address the upcoming Highway Trust Fund insolvency.

Also this week, House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) announced that his committee will move forward on their Highway Trust Fund fix after the July 4 Congressional recess.

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