This is the latest installment of highlights of PCA’s “This Week in Washington” update. Interested in seeing more?  Become an ACPA Advocacy Interest Member.* Advocacy Interest Members are eligible to participate in the Legislative Issues Committee (LIC). Click here to join!

• Congressional leaders are negotiating to stop a government shutdown before October 1 by passing a continuing resolution (CR). The CR would likely extend current funding levels through mid-November.  The House may vote on a CR as early as this week. 
• The House Highways and Transit Subcommittee held another hearing on reauthorizing the FAST Act, this time emphasizing congestion pricing. Congestion pricing is a way to raise additional revenue and to address concerns that a vehicle miles traveled fee could unfairly penalize rural residents. Democrats and Republicans raised concerns about this topic. Some Representatives used the hearing to express their support for moving forward with a long-term reauthorization bill. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Peter DeFazio (D-OR-04) emphasized the need for long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund, along with updating underlying policies within the surface transportation program.
•  The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a plan to split $1.3 trillion in discretionary sending for FY20 across 12 appropriations bills. For the bill that funds the Department of Transportation, the committee allocated $74.3 billion, which is $1.5 billion less than the bill passed by the House.

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* Advocacy Interest Membership is a special individual membership category. To be eligible for membership in this category, a member must be a stockholder, owner, director, or employee of a member admitted to any other class of membership (Article IV, Section a-i, and l). In addition, to become and remain eligible, individuals must affirm their Advocacy Interest Membership annually.

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