After clearing the Senate earlier in the day (see Dec. 21 AASHTO Journal news alert), the House of Representatives voted 193-165 the evening of Dec. 21 to pass the continuing resolution (HR 3082) extending government funding and surface transportation authorization to March 4. President Barack Obama signed the measure into law Dec. 22 (Public Law 111-332). Government funding had expired Dec. 21, while temporary authorization for highway and transit programs had been scheduled to lapse Dec. 31.

The measure maintains Fiscal Year 2010 funding for most government programs through March 4. Congress did not complete any of the dozen appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2011, which began Oct. 1. When the House previously voted on the continuing resolution Dec. 8, it included language to extend appropriations and surface transportation authorization through the end of the fiscal year (Sept. 30). That timetable was shortened by the Senate, however, after there were not enough votes to move forward on a full-year omnibus appropriations package. (see Dec. 17 AASHTO Journal story)

Federal civilian workers, including those at USDOT, will have their pay frozen for the next two years as a result of a provision included in the enacted legislation. The pay freeze had been proposed by Obama.

This stopgap measure is the sixth short-term extension of the 2005 surface transportation authorization law known as "SAFETEA-LU," which originally expired Sept. 30, 2009.