Sen. Tom Coburn stopped blocking short-term FAA and surface transportation bills in time to
avert an FAA shutdown that would have begun today. Coburn did extract some concessions for the longer term:
Under a compromise reached Thursday night, Senate leaders promised Coburn that the mandate [that states spend 10% of federal funding on bike lanes, pedestrian safety, or other such projects] would be dropped from a long-term highway funding bill expected next year.
That's a significant concession if you're a biker in a state that will be only too happy to avoid spending money for your safety. But the fact that Coburn relented on the short-term bill is still a remarkable testament to how badly Republicans know they looked coming out of the summer's FAA shutdown.