Highway Bill H.R.3 approved by Senate

Oh please, oh please! :wave:

 

Not quite yet. There is still the matter of a presidential signature. Also it seems several ammendments were added by the Senate so some coordination with the House of Representatives will likely be required. Here is info on one of the added ammendments affecting Hybrids:
"Sen. Talent’s amendment would open up High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes, located in nineteen states, to hybrid vehicles including the Ford Escape Hybrid which is built in Kansas City. The amendment would allow vehicles that achieve at least a 50 percent increase in fuel efficiency in the city and a 25 percent increase in fuel efficiency in combined city-highway miles over the non-hybrid model to use the car pool lanes. The amendment would provide another incentive for customers to purchase fuel-efficient vehicles like the Ford Escape Hybrid. "

 

Veto or not veto, I think it's gonna pass and I think the hybrid stuff will say.

Doesn't Washington DC have the highest per capita hybrid owners? I'm sure they'll all want to drive in the HOV lanes.

And I'm sure the House is going to want to drill in Alaska and pollute with MTBE.

And the bill produced a significant bi-partisan united vote in the Senate.

Bush would be foolish to waste a veto on this.

Then again......

 

The latest I see at:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d1...09:HR00003@@S
is:

5/17/2005:
Passed Senate with an amendment by Yea-Nay. 89 - 11. Record Vote Number: 125.
5/18/2005:
Senate ordered measure printed as passed.

Anyone have any idea how long the process of the House and Senate coalescing their 2 bills takes? Also, anybody know how to track it once it gets in that process?

Thanks. Maybe we're actually getting close?

Ex

 

Am Public Works Assn website reports:

The bill now heads to a conference committee with the $284 billion House-passed bill. The Senate did not name conferees after passage of the bill, and a decision on when they will be named has not been made. House conferees may not be appointed until the week of May 23.

Statements May 18 by Administration officials reaffirmed its position opposing a bill that exceeds $284 billion.

Another extension of the expired current law is expected before May 31.

link at http://www.apwa.net/Advocacy/AdvocacyNews/...&HotLocator=GOV

keep the fingers crossed... the big contention will be over funding level, as suggested above... both the house version and the senate amendments give states the ok to allow hybrids to use hov... that's what's important to me & what many of us will be watching. :wink:

hopefully this will make it thru conference committee and to the pres's desk soon... but if last year's turn of events is an indicator, we'll be waiting a long time...