The House continued work late last night on a transportation budget bill while negotiations continued on a long-term reauthorization bill that could change some funding and policy levels.

The House voted on 13 amendments to the fiscal 2013 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, although an attempt to restore a popular livability grant program to the House bill was rejected on a point of order.

A vote on the final bill is expected this week, possibly as early as today, Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Tom Latham (R-Iowa) said.

The debate came as House members and senators continued to negotiate a long-term reauthorization, with optimism growing that a deal could come today -- just three days before long-term transportation funding is due to run out (see related story). It is possible that some funding levels in the appropriations bill will change based on the authorization bill and several of the offered amendments have language that could be taken care of in the larger authorization.

Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) was responsible for several recorded votes with a series of amendments that would strike increases over fiscal 2012 levels to various agencies. His three recorded votes -- regarding the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Federal Transit Administration and Federal Railroad Administration -- all failed. However, two others regarding the Surface Transportation Board and Maritime Guaranteed Loan Program were adopted by voice vote.

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) led an effort along with several colleagues to restore $500 million in funding for the popular TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) livability grant program but was ruled out of order because her proposal did not include a funding offset. Waters introduced a similar bill that would have devoted $1 billion to TIGER over two years.

The White House had requested $500 million for the program, a figure that Senate appropriators included in their long-term transportation spending bill.

Another amendment from Rep. Hansen Clarke (D-Mich.) that would have added $10 million to a transit and bus grant program was similarly declared out of order.

Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.) pitched an attempt to remove $150 million in federal funding for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, calling it the largest earmark on the bill and a waste of taxpayer money at a time when the Washington, D.C., transit agency was providing unsatisfactory service and did not keep a tight budget.

The measure failed on a 243-160 vote, with opponents saying that the money was necessary for transit line upgrades and safety measures.

An amendment from Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) that would have eliminated $114 million in funding for the Essential Air Services program also failed. The program, which subsidizes flights to rural areas not close to larger airports, was derided by McClintock as wasteful and a needless subsidy. Other Republicans have sought to zero out, or severely cut, the program before.

The measure failed by a 238-164 vote, however, as supporters rallied around it for providing necessary service. Latham also noted that the House had already approved cuts and restrictions to the air services program that kept some waste in line.