House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said Tuesday that the highway bill is being held up in the House due to Republican divisions, and he wouldn’t put odds on whether it’ll pass anytime soon.
“Republicans are a deeply divided party on a number of issues, not the least of which, of course, is the highway and infrastructure bill. Which would in fact, is passed, be a jobs bill. Would create significant jobs.”
The second-ranked House Democrat said the Senate is working in a bipartisan manner with the liberal Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and the conservative Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) putting aside their differences to achieve something. House Republicans, he argued, are refusing to work with Dems.
Hoyer’s remarks come as CQ reports that Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) has “sidelined” Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman John Mica from work on the highway bill after his proposal drew criticism from conservative members.
