Recent Streetsblog USA posts about U.S. Senate

More on McCain’s Anti-Transit and Coburn’s Anti-Bike Amendments

By Elana Schor | Sep 15, 2009 | 2 Comments

As Streetsblog Capitol Hill reported yesterday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) offered amendments striking money for more than 20 transit projects from the bill that funds the U.S. DOT next year. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) (Photo: Reuters via MediaBistro) The individual amendments have yet to come to a vote, but earlier today the Senate defeated a […]

White House Tells Senate: Grants No Substitute For Infrastructure Bank

By Elana Schor | Sep 11, 2009 | No Comments

The White House has reiterated its commitment to a national infrastructure bank (NIB), urging the Senate to reconsider a 2010 transportation spending bill that would "substitute in its place" $1.1 billion in grants. Patty Murray (D-WA) heads the Senate panel in charge of U.S. DOT spending. (Photo: Seattle Times) In a statement of policy on […]

Dodd Stays at Helm of Transit Panel — But at a Cost to Climate Bill?

By Elana Schor | Sep 9, 2009 | No Comments

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) announced this afternoon that he would stay on at the helm of the Banking Committee, which also has jurisdiction over federal transit issues, rather than move over to lead the health panel previously led by his friend, the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA). Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) (Photo: The Washington Note) […]

Compromise or Concession: Congress Faces Tough Transport Choices

By Elana Schor | Sep 8, 2009 | No Comments

Health care and transportation funding are very different items on Congress’ to-do list, but the Washington Post’s assessment of the former issue fits the latter as well: Lawmakers return today from a month-long recess to find a political landscape that has barely shifted from the impasse of late July. Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH) (Photo: UPI) […]

Mmmm, This ‘Pork’ Sounds Tasty: Senators Serve Up Transit Aid

By Elana Schor | Sep 3, 2009 | 2 Comments

One of Washington’s most enduring truisms is that "pork" is in the eye of the beholder. Self-styled anti-earmark crusaders are fond of bashing clean transportation projects as improper uses of taxpayer money, but most of them recognize privately that rail, bus, and bike investments are a good thing. He may not like to admit it, […]

Senate Climate Bill Delayed for Second Time

By Elana Schor | Aug 31, 2009 | No Comments

Underscoring the growing intensity of the message war over climate change, Senate environment committee chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) said in a joint statement this afternoon that they would delay the unveiling of their carbon-emissions legislation until late September: Because of Senator Kennedy’s recent passing, Senator Kerry’s August hip surgery, and […]

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