Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., on March 1 filed a revised manager’s amendment to the Highway Investment, Job Creation and Economic Growth Bill of 2012 (Sen 1813), that incorporates revisions from relevant committees, including a tax title by the Senate Finance Committee. The new measure tweaks portions of the Finance Committee’s work with the bulk of the changes coming from the Senate Commerce Committee and the Senate Banking Committee.
Reid allowed that the new measure includes the same consensus work of the three involved committees found in his initial manager’s amendment. “What’s new in the amendment that I just offered is that it now includes 37 additional amendments cleared by the managers of this bill,” said Reid.
Progress on the bill had stalled when Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., demanded a vote on a nongermane amendment that would have limited women’s access to contraceptive devices. Senate lawmakers narrowly defeated the measure but Reid said obstacles still remain. Speaking on the Senate floor, Reid said, “We need a path forward on this bill and we don’t have it now. We continue to work on an agreement to have votes on a number of nongermane amendments in which the Republican caucus say they want.”
The highway bill would renew highway taxes through fiscal year 2015 and direct the tax revenue to the Highway Trust Fund. The $109-billion measure would extend the current 18.3-cents-per-gallon tax on gasoline and special motor fuels, the 24.3-cents-per-gallon tax on diesel and kerosene, and other taxes on heavy vehicles and tires.
By Jeff Carlson, CCH News Staff
Tax-Related Portion of the Revised Manager’s Amendment to the Highway Investment, Job Creation and Economic Growth Bill of 2012 (Sen 1813)
