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Lipinski Pushes For Six-Year Transportation Funding Bill

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Even as Congress prepares to debate and vote on President Barack Obama's jobs bill, behind the scenes, some lawmakers are talking about multi-year legislation to fund major transportation projects.

And as WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports, the effort is reportedly bipartisan.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports

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Trains rumbled by periodically as U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) talked Monday about spearheading a massive federal transportation bill. He had just participated in the groundbreaking for the Englewood Flyover, a federally funded rail project designed to ease congestion among trains.

But Lipinski says the dedication of the Englewood Flyover is not enough. He is pushing for six-year funding for transportation projects across the country.

Lipinski says even House Republicans want to approve such a bill.

"The problem is finding the revenue to pay for it," he said. "The Republicans believe that they have a source of revenue, but they found out when they went to the Congressional Budget Office that that revenue could not be counted as new revenue. And so, they're back to the drawing board, and I am pushing right now, once again, to get this six-year bill done."

Lipinski did not suggest where they money should come from either.

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