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Before adjourning for the year, top Democrats on Capitol Hill are not ruling out the possibility of advancing a nearly $1 trillion COVID-19 package that includes aid for transportation networks.

Members of Congress return to Capitol Hill after Thanksgiving to close out a post-election lame-duck session that will include government funding legislation and the possibility of a new round of COVID-19 relief aid.

For the top transportation decision-makers on Capitol Hill up for re-election, a majority of voters responded favorably to their campaigns, sending them back to Washington to work on an agenda that includes an update of the country’s highway and infrastructure policies.

Legislation that aims to promote the adoption of new technologies throughout the country’s transportation networks was recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The extension of the law governing the country’s highway policies is before the Senate as part of legislation meant to avert a partial shutdown of federal agencies.

Groups representing nearly every aspect of the country’s infrastructure networks recently called on congressional leaders to approve a yearlong extension of a soon-to-expire highway law.

A new economic relief proposal by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell fell short of passage in the chamber by a vote of 52-47.

Backlash mounting, President Donald Trump’s embattled Postmaster General Louis DeJoy will appear Aug. 21 before the Senate to testify on mail delivery delays and service changes that lawmakers and others are warning could imperil the November election.

Stakeholders representing the country’s freight and passenger transportation interests have ramped up calls for pandemic-related emergency aid as White House and congressional negotiators appear to have reached an impasse this month.

Partisan disagreements about the degree of assistance to provide various groups and industries have delayed a COVID-19 relief package.