Obama administration closely reviewing Senate highway bill

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration is closely reviewing a bipartisan Senate bill that would pay for fixes to U.S. roads, bridges and rail, an administration official said late on Tuesday after the proposal was unveiled. An administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the review will include the "offsets" the Senate would use to pay for the more than $130 billion in spending, such as selling part of the U.S. emergency oil reserves and a cut to Federal Reserve dividends to large banks. "We will continue to look closely at the bill to ensure it includes adequate safety standards. And we will press Congress to ensure a resolution is reached that includes a path forward on reauthorizing the Ex-Im Bank," the official said. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Editing by Eric Beech)