The U.S. Senate approved the Omnibus Public Lands Bill, which contains a measure to renew the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program for another 10 years, by a 77-20 vote on Thursday.
If that sounds familiar, it should. The Senate approved a similar measure a few weeks ago. But the House, under rules that required a two-thirds majority for passage, failed to advance the lands bill by two votes.
So the Senate brought it up again, and it again easily passed. The New York Times reports the House will probably vote on it again sometime next week, where it will require just a simple majority to pass.
The measure has wide bipartisan support. But it’s not wise to presume it will be a slamdunk. We’ll keep an eye on this until it finally lands on President Obama’s desk.