Washington

Congress must quickly fix the impending insolvency of the Highway Trust Fund without waiting for an executive order, President Obama said.

Moody's Investors Service downgraded Howard University to Baa3 from Baa1 on Thursday.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sees public-private partnerships as a potential funding source for water infrastructure projects.

The DC Water and Sewer Authority is looking to issue 100-year green bonds for a massive wastewater project.

Dozens of firms have withdrawn their registrations as municipal advisors under the new regulatory regime that takes full effect Tuesday, citing a myriad of reasons for avoiding participation in a new era of muni advising.

The state of Washington completed a $1.2 billion combined new money and refunding deal this week, garnering major savings from the refinancing portion, according to the state treasurer.

The Head of the Senate Finance Committee will work with chairman of House Ways and Means for a quick, temporary fix to the fast-depleting Federal Highway Trust Fund.

Panelists at The Bond Buyer's Pacific Northwest Municipal Market Symposium in Seattle discussed the implications of two regulatory initiatives taking place this year, the SEC's MCDC self-reporting initiative, and municipal advisor regulation.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged a Philadelphia-area private equity firm with violating pay-to-play rules by receiving advisory fees from the city and state pension funds following campaign contributions an associate made to state and local officials. It is the first case brought by the SEC under its pay-to-play rules for investment advisers.

Watchdog group advises lawmakers to avoid bookkeeping gimmicks in resolving the multi-billion shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund.

The state of Washington is planning to sell $1.2 billion of general obligation bonds next week to fund various projects, including school construction and state programs for the Columbia River Basin.

Moody's Investors Service has lowered its ratings on $8.5 billion of state and transit agency stand-alone grant anticipation revenue vehicle bonds supported by dwindling revenues from the Highway Trust Fund.

The House Appropriations Committee has unveiled a fiscal year 2015 bill that would fund the Securities and Exchange Commission at $1.4 billion - $50 million above the fiscal year 2014 level and $300 million below President Obama's budget request.

Rating agencies and others said that draft standards, which among other things urge states and local governments to disclose their net or total other post-employment benefit liabilities on the face of their financial statements, would be helpful and provide more transparency.

Foreign equity investment interest in U.S. public-private partnerships at all-time level, a House P3 panel was told.

Seattle is planning to sell $146 million of revenue bonds on Tuesday to fund improvements to its wastewater system and refund outstanding bonds.

The director of the Internal Revenue Service's tax-exempt bond office will discuss new initiatives and updates at an audio webcast next week.

Recently released Treasury Department regulations that revise the standards practitioners follow when giving tax advice make the standards more flexible and less burdensome, bond lawyers said.

The Bond Dealers of America is urging the Securities and Exchange Commission to limit the scope of its continuing disclosure violation self-reporting program and the participation deadline by more than three months.

State general fund spending is increasing, although it continues to lag behind historical averages and revenue growth remains small in some states, according to a new report from the National Association of State Budget Officers.