Obama signs transportation “stopgap” bill

President Obama signed an $8 billion, “three-month stopgap bill preventing federal highway funding from drying up” on Friday,The Hill (7/31, Fabian) reported. Obama criticized “lawmakers for failing to agree on a long-term measure,” claiming “he had no choice but to sign the short-term measure to prevent an interruption of money for roads and bridges during the busy summer construction season.”

Reuters (8/1, Edwards, Mason) quotes Obama as stating: “We can’t keep on funding transportation by the seat of our pants, three months at a time. I guarantee you this is not how China, Germany, other big powerful countries around the world handle their infrastructure.”

WSJournal Analysis: Deteriorating Highways Costing Drivers Money. The Wall Street Journal (8/1, A3, Harrison, Subscription Publication) examines how deteriorating highways are impacting American drivers, who are spending more on auto repairs due to deteriorating road conditions.