It has been 908 days since SAFETEA-LU expired and Sunday is the expiration of the latest extension.
So what happens today? The House votes on a 90-day extension for transportation funding offered by Transportation Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.). Two-thirds must approve it and many House Dems oppose it, but it opens them to criticism if they vote for a shutdown.
Senate leaders have avoided presenting an extension and they have been putting pressure on the House to go with the Senate's bill. The Senate could make a move for a 45- or 60-day extension but getting a unanimous pass will be difficult.
In his weekly address on Saturday, President Obama said, "In a matter of days, funding will stop for all sorts of transportation projects. Construction sites will go idle, workers will have to go home, and our economy will take a hit.
"The Senate did their part. They passed a bipartisan transportation bill. ... Now it's up to the House to follow suit, to put aside partisan posturing, end the gridlock, and do what's right for the American people."
Some weekend Tweets about the subject:
U.S. DOT Secretary Ray LaHood (@RayLaHood): Spring has sprung, but state DOTs put renewal on hold until #House passes #transportationbill http://bit.ly/GTCWqb
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (@villaraigosa): #TransportationBill will get the country moving: http://bit.ly/wkK5Os #AmericaFastForward @SenatorBoxer
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) (@SenatorBoxer): Video: @RayLaHood & I tell House: Drop short-term extension, pass Senate's #bipartisan #TransportationBill http://goo.gl/DbE8V
Merrimack Valley Transportation Management Association (@MerrimackVlyTMA): Action Alert: We need a bipartisan #Transportation bill before it expires 3/30! fb..me/1f6qYjkxO
Proterra Inc. (@Porterra_Inc): Rep. John Mica (R-FL) introduced a three-month extension of surface transportation authorization in the House on 3/22 ow.ly/9Qgy1
