--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Last time Congress passed a major…" description: "\"Last time Congress passed a major six-year transportation bill was in 1997, since then there have been 21 short-term extensions.\" — Ray LaHood" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/908/ray-lahood-41377_bills_last-time-congress-passed-a-major-six-ye_1753250.jpg" --- # Last time Congress passed a major six-year transportation… ![“Last time Congress passed a major six-year transportation bill was in 1997, since then there have been 21 short-term extensions.” quote by Ray LaHood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/908/ray-lahood-41377_bills_last-time-congress-passed-a-major-six-ye_1753250.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/908/ray-lahood-41377_bills_last-time-congress-passed-a-major-six-ye_1753250.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/908/ray-lahood-41377_bills_last-time-congress-passed-a-major-six-ye_1753250.jpg) > “Last time Congress passed a major six-year transportation bill was in 1997, since then there have been 21 short-term extensions.” [Ray LaHood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-lahood/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The U.S. has relied on temporary extensions for transportation funding since the last long-term bill in 1997, highlighting legislative inertia and infrastructure risk. **In simple terms:** Transportation funding has been short-term since 1997. Key Takeaway Advocate for comprehensive, long‑term legislation. Themes infrastructure policy legislation government budgeting Mood concerned urgent critical Type policy political When to use this quote - state budgeting - federal appropriations - public transit planning - infrastructure project management Key Concepts fiscal planning public works political gridlock Questions to Reflect On - How can bipartisan consensus be built for lasting funding? - What are the risks of continual short‑term extensions? A Different Perspective Political disagreements often stall long‑term solutions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bills/) [Congress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congress/) [Congress Passed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congress-passed-273813/) [Extensions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extensions/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Last time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/last-time/) [Lasts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lasts/) [Majors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majors/) [Short term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-term/) [Six](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/six/) [Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term/) [Time Congress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-congress-1623786/) [Transportation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transportation/) [Transportation 1997](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transportation-1997-1623784/) [Year Transportation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/year-transportation-1623785/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [It is time this Congress listened to the American people and minimum-wage workers, and it is time that we act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russ-carnahan/it-is-time-this-congress-listened-to-the-american-people-and-minimum/) [Russ Carnahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russ-carnahan/) > [I loved my time in Congress, but people who spend all of their time planning to run for office have very few useful skills…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sununu/i-loved-my-time-in-congress-but-people-who-spend-all-of-their-time/) [John Sununu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sununu/) > [The time is now for Congress to address health care in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-conyers/the-time-is-now-for-congress-to-address-health-care-in-america/) [John Conyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-conyers/) > [If I have learned anything from my time in Congress, it is that the only way we are going to solve the big problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-hurd/if-i-have-learned-anything-from-my-time-in-congress-it-is-that-the/) [Will Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-hurd/) > [About the only time Congress conforms to the will of the people is when it decides to adjourn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-esar/about-the-only-time-congress-conforms-to-the-will-of-the-people-is/) [Evan Esar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-esar/) > [It's time for Congress to stop wasting its time and taxpayer money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-malliotakis/it-s-time-for-congress-to-stop-wasting-its-time-and-taxpayer-money/) [Nicole Malliotakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-malliotakis/) > [The public conviction that a railroad linking the West and the East was an absolute necessity became so pronounced after the gold discoveries of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-moody/the-public-conviction-that-a-railroad-linking-the-west-and-the-east/) [John Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-moody/) > [When Congress passed the Authorization for the Use of Military Force immediately after the 9/11 attacks, no one could have imagined this authorization would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/when-congress-passed-the-authorization-for-the-use-of-military-force/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [The 112th Congress passed only 220 laws, the lowest number enacted by any Congress. 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He will correct your vision. Others will drive on the road he built.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/bill-hicks-blowtorch-excavator-truthsayer-and-brain-specialist-he/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) [Browse all 2,663 Bills quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bills/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Last time Congress passed a major six-year transportation bill was in 1997, since then there have been 21 short-term extensions.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ray LaHood" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-lahood/last-time-congress-passed-a-major-six-year-transportation-bill-was-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bills" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-lahood/last-time-congress-passed-a-major-six-year-transportation-bill-was-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/908/ray-lahood-41377_bills_last-time-congress-passed-a-major-six-ye_1753250.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/908/ray-lahood-41377_bills_last-time-congress-passed-a-major-six-ye_1753250.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/908/ray-lahood-41377_bills_last-time-congress-passed-a-major-six-ye_1753250.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Last time Congress passed a major six-year transportation bill was in 1997, since then there have been 21…” — Ray LaHood", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ray LaHood", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-lahood/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Last time Congress passed a major...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-lahood/last-time-congress-passed-a-major-six-year-transportation-bill-was-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-lahood/last-time-congress-passed-a-major-six-year-transportation-bill-was-in/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```