Agreement on S.1813, the Surface Transportation Bill

The Senate has reached an agreement in order to complete action on S.1813, the Surface Transportation bill.  The amendments listed below are the only amendments in order to the bill.  At a time to be determined on Thursday, March 8^th, the Senate will vote on the amendments in the order listed.  Where amendments need 60 votes in the affirmative, it is noted below.  When a vote time is set, another message will be sent.  The details of the agreement are below.  It is expected that up to 10 votes will occur during Thursday's session with the remaining votes occurring on Tuesday, March 13^th.

The Reid amendment #1761 was agreed to by unanimous consent.  The bill, as amended, will be considered original text for the purposes of further amendments.

The following 30 amendments are the only amendments remaining in order to S.1813:

- Vitter #1535 (OCS) (60-vote threshold);

- Baucus or designee regarding rural schools (60-vote threshold);

- Collins #1660 (Boiler MACT) (60-vote threshold);

- Coburn #1738 (OMB/Duplicative Programs) (60-vote threshold);

- Nelson(FL)-Shelby-Landrieu #1822 (RESTORE) (60-vote threshold);

- Wyden #1817 (Keystone pipeline) (60-vote threshold);

- Hoeven #1537 (Keystone pipeline) (60-vote threshold);

- Levin #1818 (Offshore Tax Havens);

- McConnell, or designee, side-by-side to Stabenow #1812 (Energy Tax Extenders) (60-vote threshold);

- Stabenow #1812 (Energy Tax Extenders) (60-vote threshold);

- DeMint #1589 (repeal of energy tax subsidies) (60-vote threshold)

- Menendez-Burr #1782 (Natural Gas) (60-vote threshold);

- DeMint #1756 (State discretionary authority);

- Bingaman #1759 (privatized highways)

- Coats #1517 (Apportionment formula);

- Brown(OH) #1819 (Buy America);

- Blunt #1540 (Off system bridges);

- Merkley #1653 (Farm vehicle exemptions);

- Portman #1736 (gas tax flexibility);

- Klobuchar #1617 (Ag transportation);

- Corker #1785, to be modified (discretionary spending cap adjustment)

- Shaheen #1678 (small bus systems);

- Portman #1742 (rest areas);

- Corker #1810 (limitation on expenditures);

- Carper #1670 (tolls);

- Hutchison #1568 (tolls);

- McCain #1669 (Grand Canyon - noise abatement), as modified with the changes at the desk;

- Alexander #1779 (over-flights of national parks).

- Boxer #1816 (SoS emergency exemptions);

- Paul #1556 (emergency exemptions);

On Thursday, March 8^th, at a time to be determined by the Majority Leader, after consultation with the Republican Leader, the Senate will proceed to votes in relation to the amendments in the order listed.  No other amendments are in order prior to the votes and there are no points of order or motions in order to any of these amendments other than budget points of order and the applicable motions to waive.

It is in order for a managers' package to be considered and, if approved by the managers and the two Leaders, the managers' package will be agreed to; further, the bill, as amended, if amended, will then be read a third time and the Senate will proceed to a vote on passage of the bill, as amended, if amended; and if the bill is passed, it will be held at the desk.

When the Senate receives the House companion to S.1813, as determined by the two Leaders, it will be in order for the Majority Leader to proceed to its immediate consideration, strike all after the enacting clause and insert the text of S.1813, as passed by the Senate, in lieu thereof.  The companion bill, as amended, will be read a third time, the statutory PAYGO statement will be read, if necessary, and the bill, as amended, will be passed. And upon passage, the Senate will insist on its amendment, request a conference with the House on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses; and the Chair be authorized to appoint conferees on the part of the Senate.