Senate to Consider FY 2009 Omnibus

The Senate is slated to take up a $410 billion FY 2009 omnibus appropriations bill today, which will fund government until October 1. The package includes the nine FY 2009 spending bills Congress did not enact last year. Agencies funded under the bills have been operating at FY 2008 levels under a continuing resolution (PL 110-329), which expires March 6. Senate leadership is reportedly working out a deal on how many amendments can be offered.

Transportation News

1) The Department of Transportation (DOT) has published recovery act guidance on its web page at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/economicrecovery/index.htm.

2) The National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission, which was
authorized by Congress in SAFETEA-LU, issued its final report:
http://financecommission.dot.gov/Documents/NSTIF_Commission_Final_Report_Advance Copy_Feb09.pdf.

The report recommends that Congress enact a 10¢ increase in the federal gasoline tax, a 15¢ increase in the federal diesel tax and commensurate increases in all special fuels taxes; doublethe Heavy Vehicle Use Tax; index these taxes and the excise tax on truck tires to inflation and maintain the current sales tax on tractors and trailers. For the medium-term, the report recommends that Congress expand the ability of states and localities to impose tolls on new capacity of the Interstate System; allow tolling of existing Interstate capacity in large metropolitan areas; invest $500 million per year to capitalize State Infrastructure Banks and expand the highway/intermodal Private Activity Bond program. For the long-term, the report states that a vehicle-miles-traveled fee system has emerged as the consensus choice.