With time running short before the Highway Trust Fund hits perilously low levels, House Republicans introduced a plan on Tuesday that would shore up the fund through May 2015. Interstate 75 in Dayton, Ohio, is undergoing a costly upgrade, but the project could be derailed if the federal Highway Trust Fund dries up. Associated Press The proposal from Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee would transfer about $10.7 billion to the fund, the main source of federal financing for the nation’s highways and mass transit. To ensure that the bill’s price tag doesn’t add to the federal budget deficit, Republicans want to extend a provision known as pension smoothing and a measure from last year’s bipartisan budget deal that allows the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection to collect user fees for an additional year. The House plan is expected to be considered in committee on Thursday. […]