The 93 conferees for the surface transportation reauthorization bill (H.R. 3) will have their first public meeting this afternoon at 3:00 p.m. as lawmakers work to reconcile the House and Senate versions on the bill before the current short-term extension expires on June 30th. We will be closely monitoring today’s meeting and all future meetings.

Despite conversations between White House Chief of Staff Andy Card and key conferees regarding the difference in funding between the two bills and public comments this week from House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas (R-California) that he’s open to meeting the Senate about halfway on funding levels, Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta sent a letter June 7 to conferees pledging a presidential veto if the legislation emerges with a price tag of more than $284 billion and criticizing offsets in the Senate bill used to increase the overall funding level. In addition, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) told reporters that President Bush said June 8 $284 billion is the only funding level he will support. Restating what has been included in two statements of administration policy, Mineta wrote that if the bill carries a funding level higher than the House's $284 billion, "the president's senior advisers would recommend that he veto the bill."