House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.) is expected to ask the Ways and Means panel to approve $3 billion to keep the Highway Trust Fund kicking until the current six-year highway bill—SAFETEA-LU—expires on Sept. 30.
The Obama administration said earlier that $5-7 billion will be needed by the Fall to fix the HTF, but sources say Oberstar is hoping his smaller request will grant him more time to pass his six-year, $450 billion highway bill.