Information from The Wall Street Journal
Hours before the government was set to cut payments to states, the Senate on Thursday evening cleared legislation to fund highway and mass-transit projects through May, agreeing to a 10-month patch passed by the House and sending the measure to the president.
Earlier in the day, the House, on a 272-150 vote, rejected a bill the Senate had passed on Tuesday night that would have funded the programs only through Dec. 19. In insisting on its approach, the House prevailed, meaning lawmakers will push a debate over highway funding into the new year.
The Senate accepted the House version by a vote of 81-13. The bill goes to President Barack Obama, who has indicated he would sign it into law.
The votes capped a week of sparring over the Highway Trust Fund, which pays for highway and mass-transit projects. The fund has nearly exhausted its reserves because taxes on gasoline and other fuel haven’t kept up with spending.
