Melanie Zanona

Rank-and-file lawmakers in both chambers insist the day to day operations of Congress — hearings, markups, press conferences, caucus meetings — should continue in some form while the House and Senate remain out for weeks in order to prevent the spread of the virus on Capitol Hill. But congressional leaders have staunchly resisted modern technology that could allow members to vote remotely.

The Trump administration has quietly dropped an Obama-era proposal requiring all new vehicles to have communication technology that allows them to wirelessly “talk” to each another. The rule, unveiled last December, calls for all new light-duty cars and trucks to eventually be equipped with vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) technology, a safety system that enables cars to send wireless signals to each other, anticipate each other’s moves and thus avoid crashes. Officials have said the technology could prevent tens of thousands of crashes each year.

A technology consumer group is urging the new administration to halt federal guidelines that encourage cellphone and electronic device makers to design products to minimize the potential for driver distraction. The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) argues that even though the guidelines are voluntary, they “could have a sweeping effect on the multibillion-dollar market for mobile devices and apps.” In December 2016, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) called for the creation of a “driver mode” for smartphones and other portable devices that drivers can use while operating their vehicle. The goal is to curb road deaths and injuries resulting from smartphone-based distractions, such as texting, phone calls and social media.

But some technology groups ripped the guidelines as a regulatory overreach and pointed out that auto and tech companies have already created driver-assist technologies and apps that help reduce distractions. “CTA shares NHTSA's concerns about the hazards of distracted driving,” the CTA said in a letter to the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). “However, we believe that the Phase 2 Guidelines takes the wrong approach to this important issue, both in substance and by impermissibly reaching beyond NHTSA's statutory authority under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act."

President-elect Donald Trump’s massive infrastructure package should have $40 of private-sector spending for every $1 of public spending, according to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI). “A great agency…has public-private partnerships. For every one dollar of federal dollars, there's $40 of private sector spending,” Speaker Ryan said. “We want to leverage as much private-sector dollars as possible to maximize the fixing of our infrastructure.” It’s perhaps the clearest picture to date of whether — and how much — direct federal funding for transportation upgrades may be included in Trump’s promised $1 trillion infrastructure bill. There has been mounting concern, particularly among Democrats and rural Republicans, that relying on private financing would only attract projects that can recoup investment costs through tolls or user fees.