Transportation averts furlough of thousands of employees

The Transportation Department narrowly averted a furlough of thousands of employees when two Senators agreed Friday to break a deadlock over a bill extending federal highway and transportation programs.

Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., had held up the highway bill by attaching language extending the deadline of the special comission investigating the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., had opposed extending the deadline, but relented on Friday, writing the panel's leaders a letter backing a two-month extension.

McCain and Lieberman then dropped their objections to the highway bill, and it passed the Senate. The House had already passed the measure.

The Bush administration warned Friday that the Senate's hold-up of the bill would result in the employee furloughs on Monday. The law expired at midnight Sunday.

"Without another extension, I will be forced to furlough about 5,000 employees, most of them working in offices located in all 50 states. Without an extension, today could be their last day on the job until funding resumes," Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said in a statement Friday.

Robert Johnson, Transportation assistant secretary of public affairs, said meetings took place Friday afternoon on how to implement the furloughs. He said the agencies affected included the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

"Employees that would be affected do everything from the approval of drivers licenses issued from the states to our federal truck inspectors who inspect trucks coming into the country from Mexico," Johnson said. "Employees in all safety programs who advocate safety belts and other safety programs like those against drunk driving -- all motor safety programs will be affected."

Transportation officials also warned that the Senate action would hit construction projects across the country. Mineta warned: "It could delay federal approval of new projects. And it could slow the ability of states to make debt payments." He pleaded with the Senate to act, saying, "The U.S. Department of Transportation faces a menacing deadline this weekend that only the U.S. Senate can help it meet."