"New Highway Bill Has Next Best Thing to Earmarks"

"It may be tougher to grease the wheels for highway spending without earmarks, but the leaders of the Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee have come up with the next best thing.

Under the proposal outlined Tuesday, the administration will have to get the committee’s approval of a list of major transportation projects to be named later — a way for lawmakers to have some input on which bridges and highways get funded and which don’t.

The top four senators on the committee joined together Tuesday morning to unveil their portion of a new six-year highway bill, an issue which has long united a disparate group of lawmakers, from Republicans James M. Inhofe of Oklahoma and David Vitter of Louisiana, to Democrats Barbara Boxer of California and Thomas R. Carper of Delaware."

Niels Lesniewski reports for Roll Call June 23, 2015.

SEE ALSO:

"Congress Finally Has a Highway Bill. It Wouldn't Fix Anything." (National Journal)

"Senators Unveil 6-Year Highway Bill, Set Up Race To Pay for And Pass Bill By July" (Washington Times)

"Senators File $275 Billion Highway Bill" (The Hill)