House Republicans may have waved the white flag and agreed to pass a temporary extension of highway funding rather than pursue a hopeless tax reform agenda, but Senate Republicans still believe they can have money for nothing and chicks for free.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Thursday that top lawmakers on transportation issues, like Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and James Inhofe (R-Okla.), were sifting through potential methods to pay for a long-term highway bill. McConnell has set up an initial Tuesday vote for a highway measure.
“I still say: six-year bill. It’s going to be very ambitious. Very robust,” Inhofe told reporters on Thursday.
Yes, you read that right. Mitch McConnell has scheduled a vote for a 6-year highway funding bill on Tuesday, four days from now, but they haven't figured out how they will pay for it yet.
Paying for it is kind of important, right?
If the Republican-controlled House couldn't collect enough Republican votes to fund the highway system with a completely voluntary tax that corporations would pay out of the goodness of their hearts, what chance does a 6-year deal have of passing both chambers within the next 10 days?
Cue the laugh track.