The House of Representatives came back into session Tuesday, and the Senate reconvenes Monday. Aviation authorization law will expire Jan. 31 and highway and transit authorization law is scheduled to lapse March 31.

"This nation is on our eighth extension of America's surface transportation legislation and our 22nd extension of America's FAA legislation," LaHood wrote Wednesday on his blog after speaking with the mayors. "That means Congress has ducked its obligation to plan for America's transportation and economic future 30 different times."

Congress must pass long-term bills that put people back to work rebuilding the nation's highway, transit, rail, and aviation infrastructure, LaHood wrote. He praised the mayors for supporting job-creating transportation projects. LaHood thanked Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for remarking that it's time to break the gridlock in Washington, stop scoring political points, and start scoring wins the American people need on jobs.

During Wednesday's speech, LaHood highlighted the job-creating steps the Obama administration has been able to take without having to wait for Congress to act. These actions include allocating TIGER discretionary grants, investing in high-speed-rail corridors, and reforming regulations to expedite project delivery.

"But one critical piece of the puzzle still waits for congressional action: a long-term transportation jobs bill," LaHood wrote. "And with Congress returning from its holiday break, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and I agree once again: the time for job-creating infrastructure investment is still now."

In other reauthorization news this week, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer, D-California, spoke in Riverside County about the need for transportation investment that will jump-start the economy (see related story); the Associated General Contractors of America launched a campaign to encourage its members to contact their congressional delegations in support of quick passage of a multiyear surface transportation reauthorization bill (see related story); and the American Road & Transportation Builders Association placed a "Gridlock Clock" on its homepage drawing attention to the 841 days (as of today) that have passed since the expiration of the last multiyear surface transportation reauthorization law (see related story).