Although leaders in both chambers say a long-term transportation reauthorization bill is a priority, progress on the bills has stalled because of a flurry of amendments in the Senate and decaying support in the House.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) used a procedural move to prevent more Republican amendments that could set up a cloture vote tomorrow on the two-year, $109 billion bill (S. 1813). Reid offered up an amendment including provisions from the Banking, Finance and Commerce committees, completing the total bill.

That puts a temporary end to a series of delays by Republicans, who have offered up amendments on issues such as contraceptive coverage and aid to Egypt. On the floor, Reid said there was "progress" on finding a resolution and hinted that a vote could come earlier.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), author of the reauthorization bill, said later that she was "embarrassed" for the Senate, adding that too much time had been taken up with "ridiculously unrelated amendments." Boxer said the transportation measure was too important to the economy and road safety to let stall on the floor.

Reid's procedural maneuver can move the bill along faster, but supporters say there are still deals on amendments that need to be worked out. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has insisted on getting floor time for his amendment cutting off foreign aid to Egypt until a group of American nongovernment workers is returned and has threatened to hold up all progress on the bill.

Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) has also offered an amendment that would allow some employers to opt out of requirements in the health care law regarding coverage for contraceptives. There are also amendments expected on the Keystone XL pipeline and Boiler MACT rule that could slow movement.

Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), who worked with Boxer on the bill, said he was skeptical the Senate could pass the bill before the Presidents Day recess, saying he was "absolutely concerned" about moving something this week.

Still working in the House

Meanwhile, House legislators say they are still working to get more votes on the transportation language in their five-year, $260 billion bill. Yesterday, House Republicans announced the transportation section of the three-part bill will be punted until after next week's recess, although it is possible a final vote on the energy and financing sections will slip later as well.

Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-Ohio), an ally of Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), said the delay gives legislators time to retool some troublesome sections of the bill.

"The bill's not there yet, so it really depends on how they spend the next week," LaTourette said. "The challenge is to take the time and hopefully improve the bill in a way that not only gets you more Republican votes, but some Democratic votes."

Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), author of the transportation language, said he and House leaders were working with members on a managers amendment that would contain tweaks that could attract more members. Although Mica said he was committed to a "full, open debate" on the bill, he said the fact that nearly 300 amendments had been filed presented a real challenge.

Mica, chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, added that he hoped that the work over the next week could lead to several amendments being addressed in the bill text, meaning they could be withdrawn.

Among the sections that must be addressed, legislators said, is a provision that would remove the dedicated gas tax funding for public transit and instead subject it to the appropriations process. That measure has lost urban Republicans and Democrats alike and was something LaTourette said House leaders were working to fix.

The House considered amendments on the energy bill yesterday evening and will bring up the finance piece this week if time allows (see related story). However, the latter bill could present some issues, because the transportation bill relies on an adjustment to federal pensions that overlaps with one announced for the payroll tax cut deal.

The vote coming this week on the payroll bill presents another hurdle to moving the three-part bill.

In a statement yesterday, T&I Committee ranking member Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) said the delay was another sign that the House bill would "never see the light of day."

"Every day House Republicans refuse to return to the drawing board and work to develop a bipartisan bill is another day we waste in putting Americans back to work rebuilding our Nation," Rahall said.

Both chambers have said they would like to pass and conference a bill as soon as possible, ahead of the transportation program's March 31 expiration. However, both sides say prospects of that are slipping and that a short-term extension may be necessary.