Senate to try to pass 30-day highway bill on Saturday after GOP objection

The Senate will meet again on Saturday to attempt to pass a short-term extension of federal highway programs after a GOP roadblock prevented what was to be a downhill lane to President BidenJoe Biden France (and Britain) set to join four-time election denier overthrown by Idaho Secretary of State Under Biden, US could fall even further behind in the Arctic MOREthe office of.

The Senate was on hold for hours on Friday in hopes it would try to quickly approve a 30-day extension once the interim bill passed in the House, where it was cleared by a 365-51 vote. Friday night.

But the chairman of the Senate finance committee Ron WydenRonald (Ron) Lee WydenSchumer feels heat to bring Manchin and Sinema on board Congress poised to avoid shutdown, but debt scuffle looms (D-Ore.), Appearing on the Senate floor as the House voted, indicated that they did not yet have the membership of the 100 senators. The Senate largely left town on Thursday, but any senator can still prevent the fast sending of the highway funding patch to Biden.

“I understand the House will be sending the Senate a 30-day extension of the Surface Transportation Authorization Act. Republicans can’t erase it tonight. Therefore, we will come back tomorrow and try to pass it then, ”said Wyden.

The Senate will meet again on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Aides didn’t immediately respond to questions about the heist, but without consent, the bill could be dragged around for days.

The Department of Transportation laid off about 3,700 workers on Friday after Congress failed to pass an extension of federal highway funding before the end-September deadline amid a House stalemate over the project of infrastructure law adopted by the Senate.

House tenant Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiTransportation funding expires after Pelosi withdraws vote on infrastructure The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Alibaba – Democrats still disagree on Biden’s agenda (D-Calif.) Earlier this year struck a deal with a group of House moderates to put the Senate infrastructure bill to a vote by September 27, which would have been cleared in time to avoid a funding deadline.

But the timing of the Senate infrastructure bill, which included funds for highways, seemed increasingly uncertain amid high-profile infighting between moderates, who want the legislation to pass quickly, and progressives. , who have sworn to sink it without massive social spending. invoice.

Sense. Tom carperThomas (Tom) Richard Carper Lawmakers consider possible short-term expansion of transportation programs Plastics industry attacks ‘regressive’ democratic tax plan MORE (D-Del.) And Shelley Moore CaptainShelley Wellons Moore Capito Lawmakers Consider Possible Short-Term Expansion Of Transportation Programs World Of Lobbying Enigmatic Sinema Makes Democrats Guess MORE (RW.Va.), senior members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, began talking earlier this week about putting in place a possible short-term reauthorization.

“Senator Capito would have strongly preferred that House Democrats pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill on schedule. She nonetheless supports the extension and is working with her colleagues to get it passed in the Senate,” said Kelley Moore, Capito spokesperson. Friday night.

Monday’s House vote on the Senate bill was initially pushed back to Thursday, pushing it back to the deadline to avoid a disruption in highway funding.

Democratic leaders and the White House had hoped the extra time could help get agreement on a framework for the social spending bill that would convince progressives to quickly pass the Senate infrastructure bill. But instead, the House postponed the vote from Thursday to Friday, when the House schedule was in limbo for most of the day.

Biden traveled to Capitol Hill on Friday to meet with House Democrats, but the closed-door powwow appeared to do little to get the bipartisan infrastructure bill off the ground, which the White House helped negotiate.

Pelosi, in a letter to his caucus on Friday night, said House, Senate and White House negotiations on the reconciliation bill had made “great strides”, but that “more time is needed to complete the task “.

“Our Chairs always work for clarity and consensus. Obviously, the bipartisan infrastructure bill will be passed once we get agreement on the reconciliation bill, ”Pelosi wrote in the letter.