Page 12 - ATR 3 2014 web

News iN brief, Transportation experts have indi- mented federal hours-of-service rule
Continued from page 11 cated the trust fund would need more was pulled from the Senate floor June
than $10 billion to remain solvent for 19 after disagreements over procedural
To offset the revenue raised from several months. rules prevented the bill from moving
increasing the fuel tax, Murphy and forward for debate.
Corker propose providing net tax consUmer spending and The annual Transportation,
relief for American families and busi- confidence cLimB Housing and Urban Development bill
nesses. An example would be extending Consumer spending in the U.S. — which provides the Department of
some of the tax provisions in the “tax grew in May as Americans used gains in Transportation with its 2015 fiscal year
extenders” bill that already have broad, income to shore up household finances. funding — came to the Senate floor
bipartisan support, creating potentially Purchases, which account for with an amendment by Sen. Susan
billions of dollars in permanent tax about 70% of the economy, climbed Collins (R-Maine) that would have
relief over the next 10 years alone, the 0.2% after being little changed in April, halted the requirement that a driver’s
senators suggest. Commerce Department figures showed. 34-hour restart include two consecutive
Incomes advanced 0.4%, and the saving 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. periods and the once-
new HoUse gop Leader rate increased to an eight-month high. per-week limit on the restart, pending
opposes gas Tax increase Projections for spending ranged a study.
from gains of Sen. Cory
0.1% to 0.6%. Booker (D-N.J.),
The previous however, had
month’s read- filed an amend-
ing was ini- ment for consid-
tially reported eration by the full
as a drop of Senate to strip the
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), 0.1%. bill of the Collins
who was elected House GOP leader fol- And with amendment but
lowing the unexpected loss of Rep. Eric consumer keep the require-
Cantor’s (R-Va.) seat, said he wouldn’t confidence ment for further
support increasing the federal tax as a rising in June, study of the rule’s
legislative solution for shoring up a fed- the trend efficacy.
eral highway account that funds high- should contin- After Senate
way programs at the state level. ue. Consumer Majority Leader
“That’s a Democrat idea, continue confidence Harry Reid
to raise taxes on the families going index (D-Nev.) and
forward,” McCarthy said during a Fox increased to Minority Leader
News interview. “I believe one of the 82.5 from Mitch McConnell
options that we put forward two years 81.9 in May. (R-Ky.) couldn’t
ago was an idea for a new funding The median agree on how
source. Open up federal lands for explo- projection in to move the bill
ration, federal government, put that a Bloomberg News survey of economists forward for debate and into the amend-
into resources to help build the bridges called for a reading of 81.2. ment proposition phase, Reid pulled the
and roads that we need.” Expectations for the year were bill from the Senate floor.
With the Highway Trust Fund pro- little changed as most households said The American Trucking
jected to run out of money as early as wages probably will rise less than infla- Associations (ATA) said it was “very
late July, transportation leaders have tion, leading to lower living standards, confident” the Collins amend-
been scrambling to approve a legisla- Bloomberg reported. ment would prevail. It also said it was
tive fix to keep the fund solvent into confident the amendment would hold
the new year. McCarthy shot down the senaTe review of Hos rULes through the conference committee pro-
gas-tax increase idea just days after two sTaLLed cess, when the House and Senate confer
senators called for raising the gas tax to The Senate bill that would have to work out differences between their
boost the Highway Trust Fund, a posi- suspended two of the 34-hour restart two versions of the bill.
tion endorsed by the trucking industry. provisions included in the 2013-imple- The House’s version did not include
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12 ArkAnsAs truckinG report | issue 3 2014