Mineta touts transportation bill

BOISE – U.S. Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta toured an Idaho locomotive plant Friday to promote President Bush’s transportation bill, which the president has battled Congress over since 2003.

Mineta’s trip to MotivePower, one of three U.S. locomotive makers, brought him to a state where Sens. Larry Craig and Mike Crapo were among 33 Republicans who on May 17 broke ranks with Bush and joined Democrats in backing $295 billion in transportation spending through 2009.

President Bush has said he’ll veto any amount over $283.9 billion, the amount House members passed 417-9 in March.

On Friday, House and Senate members in Washington, D.C., failed to reach a compromise that Mineta is banking on to thwart a seventh, temporary extension of transportation funding when the current extension expires June 30. Mineta and MotivePower officials say the company and others have been hurt by the delay because it’s prevented cities and states from planning.