91��Ƶ

Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the transportation policy-writing Environment and Public Works committee, said he will ask senators to consider a variety of funding proposals to advance a five-year highway bill this year.

In his State of the Union address Jan. 20, President Obama sought to reassure Americans that his administration is determined to finance big-ticket infrastructure projects with Congress’ help to boost key industries such as trucking and construction.��

The Obama administration on Jan. 16 announced it would create a municipal bond and approve other proposals to fund big-ticket infrastructure projects, four days before the president’s State of the Union address.

Less than a week after she announced she would not seek another term in the Senate, California Democrat Barbara Boxer urged GOP leaders to turn their attention to funding the country’s aging transportation system.

Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) this week introduced a bill that would replace the diesel and gas tax with a carbon tax, the latest congressional proposal aimed at boosting transportation dollars ahead of the reauthorization of a major highway law this spring.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Jan. 12 announced that $30 million is available to help states modernize their safety data technologies.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Jan. 8 approved legislation that would greenlight the Keystone XL oil pipeline, setting up a contentious debate on the floor of the Senate next week on a measure backed by Republican leaders and opposed by the White House.

As expected, the U.S. Senate on Jan. 8 ratified Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) as the next chairman of the Commerce, Science and Technology Committee during the 114th Congress.