Continuing Resolution Likely, with Potential Trucking Rider
Monday, September 19, 2016

Legislative Activity

Continuing Resolution Likely, with Potential Trucking Rider

The current fiscal year ends on September 30, and Congress will need to pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) to continue funding the federal government. The Senate is expected to pass a CR this week that would fund the federal government through December 9. That approach would require Congress to pass an Omnibus Appropriations bill, or several “mini-buses,” to fund the government through FY 2017.

The CR could provide an opportunity for Congress to include a transportation policy rider impacting the 34-hour restart rule in hours of service regulations proposed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The Chairman of the transportation subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, Representative Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), seems open to considering a change to the rule in the CR. The Senate Appropriations subcommittee Chairwoman, Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), has suggested that a compromise provision may be necessary to get the approval of Senate Democrats. However, any hours of service rule modifications may have to wait for the “lame-duck” session, depending on the number of policy changes included in the short-term CR.

This Week’s Hearings:

  • On Thursday, September 22, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade will hold a hearing titled “Midterm Review and Update on the Corporate Average Fuel Economy Program and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Motor Vehicles.”
  • On Thursday, September 22, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit will hold a hearing titled “The Impact of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act’s Freight Provisions.”
 

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