By Ron Thaniel
March 1, 2004

Despite repeated warnings that President Bush would veto the bill, the Senate on February 12 passed a historic $318 billion transportation reauthorization bill (S.1072) by a 71-26 vote. The vote followed threats of a veto by U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, Treasury Secretary John Snow and White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan

The Administration's reauthorization funding level is $256 billion, which is $62 billion less than the Senate number, and $119 billion less than the House number at $375 billion.

The final vote was nine more votes than the two-thirds needed to override the threatened veto.

Following the vote, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, said, "If that legislation (S 1072) comes to his desk, the President will veto it."

"The President has made it very clear that we need to fund our important priorities, like winning the war on terrorism, protecting the homeland, and strengthening our economy. And then we need to hold the line on spending elsewhere in the budget," said McClellan.

Furthermore McClellan said, "This issue of the highway funding is an important first test. It is still in the early stages, but we will continue to call on Congress to show spending restraint. And the way that they can show that, right up front, is to hold the line on spending in the highway funding legislation. We need to continue to work to cut the deficit in half over the next five years."

Prior to the Senate vote Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta and Treasury Secretary John Snow said in a letter to Congress that they would recommend a Presidential veto should Congress pass the reauthorization bill that includes higher taxes, long-term bonding, or spending from the government's general fund. The Senate bill does propose limited use of the general fund for mass transit.

S.1072 includes $56.5 billion for transit, $255 billion for highways and $6 billion for safety. The highway and transit amounts are guaranteed and firewalled.

Now the debate shifts to the House with an expected committee markup in March.