众议院运输和基础设施委员会主席彼得·德法齐奥（Peter Defazio）（D-ore。）表示，他的目标是在3月份制定一项表面运输法案，并在4月对其小组进行投票。

Defazio在2月26日向记者讲话后，在美国州公路协会和运输官员协会冬季会议上讲话后说：“我希望在3月起草一项法案，并在4月份加价。”

Lawmakers must act by Sept. 30, when the current authorization measure, the 2015 Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, lapses. The congressional schedule also will be truncated this fall because of the run-up to the Nov. 3 elections.

长期账单还是扩展？

Given that time squeeze and recent history, a stopgap to continue highway and transit programs temporarily is a definite possibility. But DeFazio says, “I would hope that we can do a [long-term] policy [bill] and not just an extension. That’s my goal.”

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) told the AASHTO meeting, "We need a multi-year highway infrastructure bill."

He recalled that before the FAST Act passed, short-term extensions led to states' delaying and considering cancelling more than $1 billion in projects.

In July, Barrasso's committee unanimously cleared a $287-billion, five-year highway reauthorization and he said he's "pushing" for the Senate to take the measure up on the floor.

The highway and transit legislation—a top priority for engineering and construction groups—was a major topic at the AASHTO meeting, held in Washington, D.C.

在采访ENR,国务院的透明新利18备用ortation leaders had varied views about whether Congress will be able to produce a multi-year highway-transit bill by the Sept. 30 deadline, or fall back on an extension.

Some state DOT officials point to signs of progress, especially the Senate committee's passage of the five-year bill. That legislation would be the major component of that chamber's still-incomplete surface transportation package.

DeFazio said in his remarks that the House Democrats' plan calls for $329 billion for highways, and that 90% of that would be distributed among states by formula. He called on the state DOT officials to press for raising the needed revenue.

Patrick McKenna, director of the Missouri DOT, says he also was heartened by bipartisan support in Congress last year to cancel a $7.6-billion rescission of highway funds that was slated to take effect July 1. That repeal was a big win for state DOTs.

“每个人都告诉我们，这是不可能发生的，这不会发生。”麦肯纳也是阿什托现任总统的麦肯纳。“但是，当我们真正专注于它，国会议员了解全国各地的影响时，他们也专注于它。他们完成了工作。”

展望未来，他补充说：“坦率地说，直到9月30日午夜，我要说的是，[长期]重新授权正是需要做的，这就是我们应该推动的。”

William Panos, North Dakota DOT director, is one of the most bullish about a deal on a multi-year surface transportation bill this year. Panos says, "We are confident that both sides of the Congress, and the people that are involved, are going to be able to work out a bill that is going to be beneficial to all the states.” He adds, “We’re pretty encouraged by…the progress that they’ve made so far.”

The North Carolina DOT, on the other hand, thinks an extension is the likely outcome by Sept. 30, and is planning accordingly, says Burt Tasaico, director of strategic initiatives and program support.

Because of the lengthy time it takes to construct projects, Tasaico says, “You have to assume a revenue stream and we have to be realistic, because if you make the wrong assumption, you have to adjust the portfolio of projects.”

他还补充说：“长期，我们确实认为国会将提出一项重新授权法案，该法案将获得有关我们快速行为的资金。但是在不久的将来，我不一定会发生这种情况，”他说，他的意思是9月30日。

After hearing DeFazio, Barrasso and other senior lawmakers discuss the transportation bill's status, Omer Osman, acting secretary of the Illinois DOT, says, "It’s good to hear that they are focusing on this, that they are pushing to get us to stability—And to stabilize the Highway Trust Fund."

Osman says, "Is it going to be done by October? We are hopeful."

威斯康星州DOT秘书克雷格·汤普森（Craig Thompson）说，在10月1日之前制定的长期法案“此时有些远距离”。汤普森说：“这将是一个重型的升降机，”并补充说：“但我们充满希望。”

特朗普政府提出了一项拟议的81.1亿美元，10年的表面运输计划，美国点已经起草了详细的立法语言，以充实该提议。DOT秘书Elaine Chao告诉AASHTO聚会，管理和预算办公室正在审查立法草案。

故事在2/27/20发生了变化，以添加参议员巴拉索的评论。