Recent Streetsblog USA posts about U.S. Senate

The 2009 Capitol Hill Streetsies: And the Nominees Are …

By Elana Schor | Dec 29, 2009 | 1 Comment

The year-end Streetsie Awards are a time-honored tradition at Streetsblog — check out New York’s first round of honorees, hot off the presses today — and Capitol Hill certainly has provided plenty of material. Without further ado, here are the nominees for Washington’s brightest and bleakest moments of 2009. Winners will be announced on New […]

Senate Climate Bill Invests Big in Transit, Reaps Big Deficit Reduction

By Elana Schor | Dec 17, 2009 | 1 Comment

As the Copenhagen climate talks reach a turning point, congressional negotiations over emissions cuts are taking a back seat to global debate. But some undeniably good news on the domestic front came late yesterday from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) described the Copenhagen talks this week as a motivator for […]

Geithner Adviser Backs ‘More Merit-Based’ Infrastructure Spending

By Elana Schor | Dec 16, 2009 | No Comments

Treasury Department counselor Gene Sperling told senators today that "we definitely support looking at … more merit-based" approaches to transportation spending, particularly an expansion of the stimulus law’s competitive TIGER grants and a national infrastructure bank. Treasury Department counselor Gene Sperling (Photo: Crooks and Liars) Sperling’s comments align with a White House document that last […]

Wins For Washington (State): Transport Bill Resolves Two Local Debates

By Elana Schor | Dec 14, 2009 | No Comments

Tucked into the transportation spending bill that Congress approved over the weekend are two wins for Washington state’s senior senator, Patty Murray (D), who chairs the upper chamber’s transport budget-writing panel. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) (Photo: Seattle Times) Murray’s first victory deals with Bush-era rules for charter buses that barred local transit agencies from providing […]

McCain & Coburn: Inadvertent Transportation Reformers?

By Elana Schor | Dec 9, 2009 | 2 Comments

Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Tom Coburn (R-OK) are no fans of dedicated federal spending on cleaner transportation. From bike and pedestrian safety to local transit funds, the duo has made a habit of attacking non-road projects as wasteful "pork." Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) (Composite Photo: City-Data.com) And yesterday was no exception, as McCain and […]

Rendell & Lawmakers Aligning on 2-Year, Treasury-Funded Transport Bill

By Elana Schor | Dec 3, 2009 | No Comments

Senior Democrats in Congress are warming to a new two-year federal transportation bill as a vehicle for upwards of $100 billion in infrastructure spending aimed at job creation — and a key player in building that momentum makes his home far from the Capitol. Gov. Ed Rendell (D-PA), the co-chairman of Building America’s Future, held […]

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