Bills in Brief

The new Democratic Congress continues to work on business issues that dogged last year's Congress - at the same time as giving a Democratic twist to new and old issues.

Bill in Brief

A 6-year highway and transportation bill got its final stamp of approval from Congress in July 2005 - and the president's signature in August 2005.

The bill pays for mass transit projects (about 18% of the bill), transportation safety (5%) and highway programs (the rest), with a hefty handful of related "pet projects" tossed into the mix.

Facts

Most agree the feds should help out with transportation infrastructure, but last year's transportation bill got messy because of the unusual amount of “pork” – fatty pet projects doled out to keep local voters happy - that made it into the legislation. Other transportation issues that come up in transportation are the amount of money spent on our infrastructure, security in a post 9/11 world, and an always struggling train system.