Reuters – A key U.S. Senate committee approved on Wednesday President Barack Obama’s plan to move $20 billion into the federal account for highway construction and repairs.

The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee also voted to extend the current transportation law by 18 months. The law will expire on September 30, and the Department of Transportation has said the Highway Trust Fund will be empty by the end of August.

The full Senate must now vote on the measure.

There is no corresponding bill in the House of Representatives, reflecting both Democrats’ and Republicans’ opposition to Obama’s plan. House members prefer passing a new multi-year transportation bill.

But the Environment and Public Works Committee chairwoman, California’s Barbara Boxer, said an extension would give states certainty on funding for projects as Congress works on that bill, which includes a complete reform of how the country organizes its transportation programs.

Boxer said it would also give Congress time to find additional funding sources for highways.

Currently, an 18.4-cent tax levied on each gallon of gas sold in the United States supports the so-called Highway Trust Fund. In order to support the House’s plan, the federal government would have to double the gas tax, Boxer said, increasing the burden on drivers during a long recession.

“Let’s get real,” she said. [read more…]