We’ve heard promises of a new surface transportation bill for
years, but lawmakers have kicked the can down the road a number of times. And
now, with this being an election year, we can expect a healthy dose of party
politics in debates over roads, bridges and transportation jobs.
As in generations past, Republicans and Democrats still seem
to agree that transportation is the lifeblood of the U.S. economy, but the two
parties are worlds apart on issues of policy and funding.
The rift has widened in the past few years even with the two
sides saying the same things sometimes about highway safety, jobs, public
transportation and good roads. In recent months – and we’ll see this throughout
2012 – the election will elevate the rhetoric to the point that the torrent could
seem impassable.
Many hot-button issues are spurring the debate. One that
comes to mind is the Republican-controlled House of Representatives favoring
new oil and gas drilling to help supplement the transportation bill. House
Democrats are saying “no way” to the drilling proposal and are hoping to win
favor by offering “made in America” provisions for transportation raw materials.
In return, the Republicans say the current “buy American” rules are good
enough.
Democrats and Republicans in the Senate Environment and
Public Works Committee applauded themselves for drafting a bipartisan
transportation bill last fall, and to some degree deserve a pat on the back for
that. But their jurisdiction and the provisions they drafted have led to somewhat
status quo language without breaking much in the way of new territory. The EPW
Committee seems content to let other committees draft the fire starters.
The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee has
tacked on a few fire-starter provisions in its offering to the bill. And once
other committees add their two cents, lawmakers could very well be scrambling
for their pokers so they can stoke the coals some more.
That’s the way the system works, and it seems to heat up
even more during election season.
House and Senate leaders say they’re close to finishing
their respective bills. But the closer they seem to get, the more election-year
politicking we’re likely to see.
On the upside, transportation is on the tips of their
tongues, and somewhere down the line the kicked can will come to rest. Eventually,
whether before or after the election, lawmakers will find at least some common
ground for transportation and we’ll have a new bill.
