FOXNews.com: Jobs, construction on the line as Congress tries to break impasse on highway bill

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Jobs, construction on the line as Congress tries to break impasse on highway bill Mar 29th 2012, 13:32 Thousands of jobs, countless construction projects and even an unpopular gas tax are at risk as the House scrambles to push out a highway bill by Saturday.  Lawmakers are taking up a temporary version of the transportation spending package Thursday morning. So urgent is the debate that they've pushed it to the front of the line, before another contentious debate over a string of budget bills that will take place later in the day.  At issue is a bill that funds critical Transportation Department programs and projects. The Senate earlier this month approved a two-year, $109 billion version of that. But the House is another matter, where tensions within the Republican caucus and an ever-changing game plan have jeopardized passage of the bill.  If Congress cannot figure out a deal by Saturday, it would force a partial shutdown of the Department of Transportation -- it would lead to roughly 4,000 furloughs, according to a 2010 estimate, as the Federal Highway Administration and other agencies shut down.  There would be other serious side effects. Thousands of construction workers could soon be left without work as funding runs dry, just at the start of the spring construction season. States also would not be able to borrow from Washington.  As for Washington, the government would lose the authority to collect the 18.4 cents-a-gallon gasoline tax. That might sound like great news for drivers, but it's terrible news for the budget -- there would be a loss of roughly $110 million a day for the federal coffers, adding to the deficit.  As the House takes up a short-term version of the package Thursday, Republicans are in serious need of Democratic support.  Tea Party-aligned Republicans have tried to cut the level of funding in the five-year package originally offered by GOP leaders. Republicans then opted to push for just a 60-day extension. But on Wednesday, they suddenly offered a 90-day extension.  Yet Democrats say they'll only take a one-month extension if they can't have the Senate-approved version.  Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., called the 90-day bill "insulting."  But other Democrats held out hope that lawmakers would, as they often do, come to a last-minute arrangement.  White House spokesman Josh Earnest called on Congress to act for the sake of those working on "America's roads, bridges and railways."  "In a matter of days, construction sites will go idle, workers will have to go home and our economy will take a hit. The Senate has done their part by passing a bill with strong bipartisan support, and now it's time for the House to follow suit," he said.  Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., chairman of the House Transportation Committee who put up the 90-day bill, said his new plan is "clean, clean, clean."  Earlier, before the 90-day plan was put up, House Speaker John Boehner's spokesman Michael Steel put the onus on Democrats.  "It's their choice as to whether to work in a bipartisan fashion, or play political games with our country's economy," he said.  Fox News' Chad Pergram contributed to this report.

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