WIth all the other big-ticket items up for debate this year, a transportation bill has been left behind.

Members of Congress disagree on whether to keep funding for roads and rails roughly the same, or spend hundreds of billions of dollars upgrading the nation's infrastructure.

The larger proposal would double federal spending over six years.

OBERSTAR'S TRANSPORTATION BILL

Rep. James Oberstar, a Minnesota Democrat who heads a House transportation committee , is looking to almost double federal spending on highways and mass transit to $500 billion over six years. 

HISTORY:

Every six years, Congress reauthorizes a spending bill on surface transportation — things like roads, highways and mass transit.

The 2005 bill included $286 billion in spending over six years, but advocates think more work needs to be done.

In January of 2008, a bipartisan commission created by Congress released a report which said that the aging and overused federal transportation system needs an overhaul. It recommended raising the federal gas tax from 18.4 cents per gallon to 40 cents per gallon over five years to pay for it.

The Obama administration has been cool to the proposal. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told Congress in June that the White House would not support a larger transportation bill until 2011.

Members of the Senate agreed, supporting the White House's plan to simply extend the existing law for 18 months, which includes $41 billion in fiscal 2010 and $20.5 billion in fiscal 2011 for highway and bridge programs. But Rep. Oberstar was pushing for a larger bill that would spend $500 billion.

Oberstar acquiesced and said he would support a three-month extension of current law, but would not support the 18-month. The Senate had recently tried to find middle ground and began pushing for a six-month extension, but it has been unable to get it passed.

Congress missed its first deadline when the current law expired on Sept. 30. Since then, they have voted to extend the current law twice in shorter extensions to continue debating the length of a longer term extension.

The most recent extension expires on Dec. 18.

KEY SUPPORTERS:

Rep. James L. Oberstar (D-Minn.)

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)

Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio)

Transportation lobbyists

Various state transportation departments

ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR:

* The country's infrastructure is aging. Delaying maintenance and improvements is a risk to the economy and public safety.

* It would stimulate the economy. New public works projects would create jobs in road construction and related industries.

* It would keep the U.S. competitive. The country has fallen behind global competitors by failing to invest in the movement of goods and people.

KEY OPPONENTS:

President Barack Obama

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.)

Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.)

ARGUMENTS AGAINST:

* It's too important to rush. Congress is too preoccupied with major bills on health care and energy to deal with transportation reform this year.

* Oberstar's bill would raise taxes. To pay for its massive increase in spending, the bill would likely require raising taxes on gasoline, which could hurt the economy during a recession.

* Roads are already being paved. The stimulus bill is paying for $27 billion worth of transportation projects for highways and bridges that should hold states over until a larger bill could be passed in 2011.

KEY VOTES:

A subcommittee in the House has approved Oberstar's bill, while three committees in the Senate have approved an 18-month extension.

Colby Itkowitz covers transportation for Congressional Quarterly.