We’ve been tracking the progress of the latest multi-year transportation spending bill in Congress — a bill that includes funding for Metro and the nation’s other transit agencies.

The Obama Administration on Thursday backed the Senate version of the bill co-authored by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-California). As we’ve been reporting, there remains considerable opposition from transit advocates to the House version of the bill.

Here is the legislative alert from Metro’s government relations staff:

As we shared in a Legislative Brief yesterday, the Senate has voted to invoke cloture on Senator Boxer’s surface transportation bill by a margin of 85 in support and 11 opposed. By invoking cloture on the bill, the Senate cleared the way for the consideration of amendments to the measure. Shortly after the Senate invoked cloture on the Boxer bill, the Obama Administration issued a State of Administration Policy (SAP) outlining their support for S.1813, popularly known as the Moving Ahead For Progress in the 21st Century Act. In part, the SAP outlined that “the Administration supports Senate passage of S.1813 to provide much needed certainty and funding for the Nation’s surface transportation programs. The reauthorization of the programs funded by the Highway Trust Fund is critical to the safety of the traveling public and the Nation’s ability to facilitate commerce and trade.”

 

And here is the White House statement:

White House Statement