Weekly Update


MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2007
I-15 THROUGH NEVADA DESIGNATED AS QUAD-STATE "CORRIDOR OF THE FUTURE" The U.S. Department of Transportation announced the awards of $65.9 million to six interstate routes last week, awarding the "Corridors of the Future" designation in an effort to encourage multi-state corridors to reduce congestion. Nevada received one of the designations for I-15 through Clark County, as part of a joint application with California, Arizona and Utah. The entire corridor will receive $15 million. Another multi-state application submitted by California, Nevada and Utah for I-80 made it through the first round of selection but was not selected as a finalist. Other corridors selected include: I-95 from Florida to the Canadian border; I-5 in California, Washington and Oregon; I-10 from California to Florida; I-70 in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio; and I-69 from Texas to Michigan. The Nevada Department of Transportation will work with its counterparts in Nevada's three partner states moving forward under the program. SENATE OKs $104.6B TRANSPORTATION FUNDING BILL; VETO THREAT ISSUED Last Wednesday, the Senate approved its version of the FY08 Transportation and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) spending bill, while a veto threat from the White House still looms. The Senate passed the bill, which exceeds the President's budget request by $3.1 billion, by a vote of 88-7, moving the bill one step closer to an eventual conference with the House version, approved July 24. The bill includes a $2.89 billion rescission of unobligated balances of funds apportioned to the states under the Federal Highway Administration, excluding safety programs. The bill includes earmarks for several key projects in Nevada, including: $3 million for SR-160, Blue Diamond Highway in Clark and Nye counties; $1 million for widening and interchanges on I-15 in Las Vegas; $1.5 million for Southern Nevada Beltway Interchanges; $500,000 for the Meadowood Interchange Complex in Reno; $1 million for interchanges on I-80 at Vista and McCarran Boulevards; $1 million for the Fernley Interchange on I-80; among others. The bill also includes $3 million for public transit infrastructure across the state. Additionally, the bill provides $65.7 billion for transportation, representing a $2.57 billion increase over the current year. The bill also includes $38.75 billion for HUD, and flat-funds the Community Development Block Grant program at $3.77 billion. IMMIGRATION AMENDMENTS EXPECTED ON SENATE DEFENSE AUTH BILL This week, as the Senate resumes debate on the defense authorization bill, a few Senators are expected to offer targeted immigration amendments. Senator Feinstein will offer an amendment to create a guest worker program for up to 1.5 million agricultural workers, while Senator Durbin is expected to offer an amendment to allow children of illegal immigrants (who entered before age 16 and have lived here at least 5 years) to gain conditional legal status and eventual citizenship if they attend college or join the military for 2 years. If she is unsuccessful, Senator Feinstein will likely offer her amendment again during the Senate debate on the farm bill. CONTINUING RESOLUTION LIKELY NEXT WEEK; ADJOURNMENT DATE SLIPS TO DEC With the fiscal year ending on in just under two weeks on September 30, the yearly appropriations bills remain uncompleted. While the House has completed all twelve, the Senate has only completed four to date. Of the four completed, none yet has been sent to conference, and almost all of the twelve face a veto threat by the President. Congress is expected to take-up a continuing funding resolution (CR) the week of September 24. The duration of the CR is still being ironed out, but it will likely run through early November or possibly through Thanksgiving. Congressional leaders have also indicated that their target adjournment date has also been pushed back from the originally-listed October 26 to sometime in December. COMMITTEES SCHEDULE MINING HEARINGS The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will conduct a full committee hearing on hard-rock mining on federal lands, set for September 27 at 9:30 a.m. EST in 366 Dirksen. Additionally, the House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing on the mining disaster at Utah’s Crandall Canyon, October 3 at 10:30 a.m. EST in 2175 Rayburn. Hearings are available online through CSPAN at www.capitolhearings.org.	THE WEEK AHEAD: After a brief legislative week to accommodate a Congressional funeral and the Rosh Hashanah holiday last week, both the House and Senate reconvened today and will be in session all week. The SENATE reconvenes today to resume consideration of the Defense authorization bill, with debate expected to last throughout the week. In addition, tomorrow, the chamber is scheduled to vote on an extension of the District of Columbia College Access Act and on a motion to invoke cloture on the District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act. The HOUSE reconvenes today to consider twelve measures under suspension, including the Regional Economic and Infrastructure Development Act of 2007. Tomorrow (and for the remainder of the week), the chamber will consider an additional four measures under suspension, as well as the Expanding American Homeownership Act, the Terrorism Risk Insurance Revision and Extension Act of 2007, the Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2007, and the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007. HEARINGS TO NOTE: BUDGET: The House Budget Committee has scheduled a Thursday, September 20, hearing at 10:00 a.m. in 210 Cannon House Office Building on performance budgeting. COMMUNICATIONS: The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet has scheduled a Wednesday, September 19, hearing at 10:00 a.m. in 2322 Rayburn House Office Building on E-911 legislation. CRIMINAL JUSTICE: The House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities has scheduled a Tuesday, September 18, hearing at 10:00 a.m. in 2175 Rayburn House Office Building on the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT: The Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Transportation Safety, Infrastructure Security, and Water Quality has scheduled a Wednesday, September 19, hearing at 10:00 a.m. in 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building on wastewater infrastructure needs. HOMELAND SECURITY: The House Homeland Security Committee has scheduled a roundtable discussion with the American Red Cross on Tuesday, September 18, at 1:30 p.m. in 210 Cannon House Office Building on national preparedness efforts. The House Homeland Security Committee has scheduled a Tuesday, September 18, hearing at 2:30 p.m. in 311 Cannon House Office Building to review the Department of Homeland Security. The House Homeland Security Committee has scheduled a Thursday, September 20, hearing at 10:00 a.m. in 311 Cannon House Office Building on first responder health and safety. HOUSING: The Joint Economic Committee has scheduled a Wednesday, September 19, hearing at 9:30 a.m. in 216 Hart Senate Office Building on the sub-prime lending market. The House Financial Services Committee has scheduled a Thursday, September 20, hearing at 10:00 a.m. in 2128 Rayburn House Office Building titled "Legislative and Regulatory Options for Minimizing and Mitigating Mortgage Foreclosures." INFRASTRUCTURE: The House Science and Technology Committee has scheduled a Wednesday, September 19, hearing at 10:00 a.m. in 2318 Rayburn House Office Building on bridge safety. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has scheduled a Thursday, September 20, hearing at 10:00 a.m. in 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building on the condition of the nation's bridges. TRADE: The House Ways and Means Committee has scheduled a markup of legislation to extend the Trade Adjustment Assistance Programs on Tuesday, September 18, at 10:00 a.m. in 1100 Longworth House Office Building. TRANSPORTATION: The House Ways and Means Committee has scheduled a markup of the tax title of the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill on Tuesday, September 18, at 10:00 a.m. in 1100 Longworth House Office Building. UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE: The House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support has scheduled a Wednesday, September 19, hearing at 1:00 p.m. in B-318 Rayburn House Office Building on the unemployment insurance system. VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES: The House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Workforce Protections has scheduled a Tuesday, September 18, hearing at 2:00 p.m. in 2175 Rayburn House Office Building on extending coverage of the Family and Medical Leave Act to military families.
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