Senators attempt to extend TIGER program

Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) are sponsoring a bill that would extend the U.S. DOT TIGER grant program through FY 2018. The bipartisan group, however, is not suggesting an amount for the grants.

The extended TIGER program would offer many of the same features and requirements that were set forth originally, with the addition of loan guarantees. Projects from $10 million to $500 million are eligible for TIGER grants, except in rural areas where anything above $1 million qualifies. Prospective projects include roads, bridges, public transportation, passenger or freight rail and port infrastructure improvements.

The TIGER program recently came under scrutiny with the Government Accountability Office, which published two separate reports highlighting the lack of transparency in the Obama administration’s grant selection process.