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A $10.8 billion bill to boost the Highway Trust Fund through May passed the House and Senate on July 31, shortly before lawmakers left Washington for a five-week recess.

The U.S. House has stripped a provision from the highway bill that sought to eliminate the tax disparity between diesel and liquefied natural gas.

The Senate on July 24 easily confirmed the nominations of two Transportation Department officials for senior positions.

House GOP leaders scheduled a floor vote July 31 on their original $11 billion plan to shore up a cash-strapped federal highway account through May, in order to prevent the Department of Transportation from having to delay payouts to states Aug. 1.

Gains in consumer spending and business investment helped the U.S. economy rebound more than forecast in the second quarter following a slump in the prior three months that was smaller than previously estimated.

The Senate on July 29 easily voted to send the House a nearly $8 billion bill that would fund federal highway programs through December, a move meant to force lawmakers to agree on a long-term funding plan for transportation construction projects nationwide.

Outgoing Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration head Anne Ferro defended her agency’s regulations limiting the amount of time drivers are allowed to work, during what probably was her last appearance before Congress as the agency’s chief.