US Senate Approves 30-Day Extension of Federal Highway Funding After House Passage

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) speaks during a hearing in Washington on June 30, 2020. (Susan Walsh/Pool/Getty Images)

The U.S. Senate on Oct. 2 approved a 30-day extension of funding for federal highway programs.

A day after the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the extension, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) brought it to the Senate floor by asking for unanimous consent. The move lets a bill pass without a recorded vote but enables a single senator to block it through an objection.

No senators objected.

The bill, introduced by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), is meant to resume funding for federal highway programs, including the Highway Trust Fund. The funding lapsed on Oct. 1. Fresh funding was part of the Senate-passed infrastructure bill, although House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has delayed a vote on the bill multiple times amid infighting in her caucus.

The highway extension bill now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk.

Biden went to Delaware for the weekend, and it isn’t clear when he aims to sign the legislation. The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Democrats delaying the passage of the infrastructure bill led to the furlough of more than 3,700 Department of Transportation workers.

Jim Tymon, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, said the group appreciates Congress passing the temporary extension but called for approval of the infrastructure bill.

“This particular extension doesn’t include any new funding for state departments of transportation until October 15, leaving them without support from their federal partners for weeks while they continue the work of moving people and goods through our communities,” he said in a statement.