WASHINGTON - Congress has formally denied funding to a Department of Transportation request for two attorneys to handle challenges to Private Fuel Storage's plans to ship waste to Skull Valley. Sen. Bob Bennett had the funding stripped from the Senate version of the transportation spending bill in July, and the Transportation Department withdrew its request. However, the House had already approved the funding, and it remained in the bill until House and Senate members agreed Thursday to strip it out. Bennett said he is pleased the House members agreed to remove the language and that they "agree that this is not a proper role for the federal government." "I remain committed to fight against any effort to bring spent nuclear fuel to Utah, and firmly believe that this waste should be stored where it currently is until we work out the economics and technology to reprocess it," Bennett said in a statement. The Transportation Department said earlier that it did not intend for the attorneys to fight Utah's attempt to block the waste from being shipped to the state, but admitted the request for funds was poorly handled. The compromise transportation bill will likely be finished next week, receive a final vote by the House and Senate, and sent to the president for his signature.