The TIGER II (aka NII - National Infrastructure Investments Grant Program) information was released by USDOT last Friday. Pre-applications are due July 16th, and final applications are due August 23. Public agencies, tribes and MPOs are eligible to apply; eligible projects are highways, bridges, transit, passenger and freight rail, and port infrastructure. Check back later today for more details, or click on the link above.

Authorization: SAFETEA-LU is extended through December 31, 2010, through the H.I.R.E. act (HR 2847). The legislation restores funding rescissions enacted at the end of FY 2009, and provides the authorized funding level for 2010. The Senate EPW staff are drafting their version of an authorization bill, while the House released its bill last year.

Appropriations: Senators' appropriations requests are due to the Appropriations Committee in late April. House Members have submitted their earmark requests to the Appropriations committee for consideration; this list will be pared down before the House bill is finalized. A list of submitted WA state projects can be found here. Note this does NOT guarantee an earmark. Some - but perhaps not all - of these requests will make it through the committee process and into the House appropriations bill. We should learn in May what projects were submitted by Senators Cantwell and Murray to Committee for consideration.

Job bill: Additional jobs-related legislation is expected in the Senate (having already passed the House), but it's unclear when that might happen or if transportation programs would be included. The Senate calendar looks pretty full with tentative commitments to debating bills on financial regulatory reform, immigration reform, and climate change.

The most recent jobs bill extends unemployment benefits, COBRA health insurance subsidies for the unemployed and higher payments for physicians who treat Medicare patients. It also extends a national flood insurance program and the use of 2009 poverty guidelines for federal programs.

Earlier this year the President has signed into law the H.I.R.E act (Reid jobs bill). In addition to the T-LU extension, the $15 billion bill includes $2 billion for "Build America Bonds" for infrastructure, a $13 billion payroll tax break for employers who hire new workers; and $35 million for small business depreciation.

It does NOT include the ARRA-like transportation funding program (aka "ARRA Transportation II") that was in the Senate's Grassley-Baucus jobs bill. Conventional wisdom that "ARRA II" is alive, but on life support has not changed.

Congressional calendar:
The Senate intends to focus this week on financial regulatory reform - legislation to overhaul rules that govern Wall Street traders, consumer lending and banks. A vote to prevent a filibuster has been scheduled for late Monday. Once that's finished, the Senate intends to take up immigration reform instead of climate change legislation as previously planned.

The House will be taking up a variety of issues during the week, and many Committees and Subcommittees have a number of hearings scheduled for the week.

Transportation-related hearings:

House Transportation Subcommittees:
Coast Guard Civil Rights and Diversity Programs, Tuesday
Protecting and Restoring America's Waterways, Wednesday
Fiscal 2011 Budget: Regional Economic Commissions, Thursday

Clean Energy Policies That Reduce Our Dependence On Oil, Wednesday, House Energy and Environment Subcommittee.

FY 2011 budget request for FRA and Amtrak, Thursday, Senate Appropriations-Transportation & Housing Subcommittee

Collaborative Solutions to Wildlife and Habitat Management, Tuesday, Senate EPW Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife