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Page 4 <br />identification of a viable funding source that can be used to replenish the Highway Trust Fund <br />(HTF), which is expected to become insolvent in late August. If this is allowed to occur, <br />reimbursements to states and municipalities will be delayed and project delivery will be slowed. <br />In the House, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has sole jurisdiction over the <br />issue. Chairman Bill Shuster (R -PA) has stated his intent to craft a comprehensive, long -term bill <br />but has yet to release any legislation. House Republican leaders recently floated the idea of a <br />short-term extension of MAP -21 to be funded by cost savings generated by a shift to five -day <br />postal delivery. However, the proposal was criticized by many rank and file GOP members and <br />seems to be off the table for now. <br />Across the Capitol, jurisdiction is split between four Senate committees. The Environment and <br />Public Works (EPW) Committee oversees highways. The Commerce, Science, and <br />Transportation Committee handles rail and safety issues. The Banking, Housing, and Urban <br />Affairs Committee deals with transit. And, the Finance Committee is tasked with finding a <br />funding source for the legislation. <br />The EPW Committee has marked up a bill. Its proposal — which would provide for current levels <br />of spending plus inflation — was approved with broad, bipartisan support. The Senate Commerce <br />and Banking Committees are expected to release their measures soon, though an exact timeline <br />has not been announced. <br />During the week of June 23, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D -OR) unveiled <br />a proposal that would generate approximately $9 billion, effectively tiding the HTF over until the <br />end of this calendar year. A markup of the measure — which includes an increased heavy vehicle <br />(truck) use tax, changes to "Stretch IRAs," and heightened requirements for banks to report <br />mortgage information — is expected to take place on June 26. Immediately after the plan was put <br />forth, the panel's ranking member, Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, stated that Wyden's <br />bill did not have Republican support and would not, unless it included sizeable reductions in <br />spending. <br />Meanwhile, Senators Bob Corker (R -TN) and Chris Murphy (D -CT) recently released the first <br />bipartisan proposal to raise the gas tax. Their plan would provide for a six cent increase in each <br />of the next two years before indexing the tax to inflation. It would be offset with tax relief for <br />businesses and families, likely through the permanent extension of several credits and breaks <br />commonly known as "extenders." <br />Immigration <br />Nearly one year ago, the Senate passed its sweeping immigration reform bill in a bipartisan <br />manner. Since, there has been little legislative movement on the issue. The House Judiciary <br />Committee has marked up several piecemeal bills, but none of the measures has managed to <br />reach the House floor where Democrats are expected to oppose as unresponsive to the principles <br />of comprehensive reform, including a pathway to citizenship. <br />25Q -6 <br />