Audio will be posted later today.

This is the Federal Drive show blog. Here you can listen to the interviews, find more information about the guests on the show each day and links to additional resources.

Today's guests:

Russell Berman — Congressional Reporter, The Hill

Congress has less than two months to agree on a federal highway funding bill. Otherwise, come June 30, funding stops. Neither party wants to be tarred with having been responsible for the resulting job losses. A conference committee will get started May 8.

House clears highway bill with Keystone pipeline mandate, thwarts Obama (The Hill)

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Susan Irving — Director of Federal Budget Analysis Issues, Government Accountability Office

A new law gives the Patent and Trademark Office more control over the fees it charges users. Supporters hope it will raise enough money for the agency to reduce its backlog of applications. But government auditors warn the new law comes with trade-offs.

Read the GAO report.

Design Guide on User Fees (GAO)

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Stan Painter — Chairman, National Joint Council of Food Inspection Locals

Everyone debates government regulation in the abstract. But we're going to make it real. Our topic: Poultry inspection by the Agriculture Department. Specifically, the Food Safety and Inspection Service. A proposed rule change would let more chickens undergo inspection faster. The proposal has touched off a debate about food safety. For one side of the story, Federal News Radio reporter Ruben Gomez talked to Painter, who had some graphic descriptions of poultry.

Extending the Public Comment Period for USDA's Proposal to Modernize Poultry Slaughter (USDA blog)

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