Senate GOP Keeps Eye On Long-Term Highway Bill As Clock Winds Down

WASHINGTON -- Senate Republicans on Tuesday remained adamant that in the coming weeks, they will act on a long-term fix for the federal fund that pays for the nations transportation system.

Despite the looming July 31 deadline, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said there is support in both parties to reach a deal by the end of the month on a multiyear bill to pay for the Highway Trust Fund.

There is bipartisan enthusiasm for a multiyear highway bill, McConnell told reporters after meeting with his conference. We have had some conversations inside our conference about a way to pay for that, and Ive also had some conversations with prominent Democrats who are involved in this issue. We are hoping we will be able to come together and Im fairly optimistic we can do that.

The race against the clock comes as Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx issued a dire warning to state officials. Without a funding solution, Foxx said, the agency responsible for dolling out funds to states will have to furlough employees, meaning states will not have access to personnel who assist with all highway projects or access to those who process and approve projects.

Pressed on whether Senate Republicans would be able to offer a multiyear plan in time that would get enough Democrats on board, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) said he thinks it would be hard for Democrats not to be in favor since theyve made it clear they support a long-term solution.

Thune admitted, however, that no agreement had been reached between Republicans on how to pay for a multiyear bill. If the Senate were to push for a six-year bill that was put forward by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee last month, they would have to come up with nearly $100 billion to make up for the ailing fund.

We have to get an agreed-upon set of offsets. We made a lot of headway talking about that, Thune said. Its fair to say, yes, we want something more than just a short-term extension.

Republicans in the House are on a different trajectory, however, moving on a five-month extension that would carry the highway fund to the end of the year. Senate Republicans arent settling for that, and are betting the House will come to the table on a longer bill.

We will work it out, Thune said of differences with the House.

"I think its going to depend upon how much [money] we have, and we will decide how much we can get out of that in terms of years," he said, adding that he expects McConnell to put a highway bill on the Senate floor as soon as the upper chamber wraps up business on an education bill.

No matter how fast the Senate moves, though, it will be cutting it close. There are only 13 legislative days until the current funding bill expires, which is why there is talk among some senators and their staff members about simply passing a two-month bill.

A two-month extension will get funding to the end of the fiscal year, and wont prolong action on a multiyear bill the way the Houses plan to pass to legislation that goes to the end of the year would.

An extension to the end of the fiscal year would get rid of the need for a five-month bill, and allow the Senate to move forward with a bold six-year or multiyear bill, a Senate aide told The Huffington Post.

They hint theyve got something in the works, but theyve said that before, Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said.

The aide said this option is being quietly discussed in the Senate as a possible way to best move forward. It would keep with McConnells argument against House Republicans' five-month bill, and appeal to Democrats who might be accepting of such a short extension for the sake of seeing a multiyear solution across the finish line.