On September 19, the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations unanimously approved its FY 2020 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD) appropriations bill, setting annual spending for the nation’s transportation infrastructure and transit systems. The $142.6 billion spending measure provides $86.6 billion in total budgetary resources for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), $167 million above FY 2019 enacted levels. DOT appropriations are dedicated to federal programs covering aviation, highways and highway safety, public transit, rail, maritime safety, pipelines and other related activities.
The U.S. House of Representatives approved its T-HUD appropriations bill on June 25 on a 227 to 194 vote. The House and Senate bills contain almost the same amount of gross discretionary appropriations for DOT at $25.5 billion; the House includes just $5 million more. Below is a side-by-side comparison of the House and Senate bills, along with FY 2019 enacted levels.
The T-HUD bill is one of twelve appropriations bills Congress must pass before FY 2019 ends on September 30, 2019 in order to avoid a government shutdown. To date, the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations has passed nine appropriations bills.
With the September 30 deadline looming, Congress is likely to pass a stopgap funding measure to avert a government shutdown and allow Congress to allow further negotiations on spending. The House passed a continuing resolution on September 19 to extend current funding levels for all federal agencies through November 21, giving Congress an extra eight weeks to complete its work. The measure passed the House on a bipartisan vote of 301 to 123. Currently, there is no sign of serious trouble for the House-passed continuing resolution in the Senate, which plans to clear the measure later this week.
FY 2020 U.S. Department of Transportation Appropriations Analysis
| House | Senate | FY 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total DOT Budgetary Resources | $86.6 billion | $86.6 billion | $86.4 billion |
| DOT Discretionary Funding | $25.5 billion | $25.5 billion | $26.7 billion |
| BUILD Grants | $1 billion | $1 billion | $1 billion |
Highways |
|||
| Federal Highway Administration | $1.75 billion | $2.7 billion | $3.25 billion |
| Highway Trust Fund | $46.3 billion | $46.3 billion | $46 billion |
| Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Grants | $0 | $1.25 billion | $475 million |
| Surface Transportation Block Grant Program | $1.77 billion | $1.25 billion | $2.73 billion |
Rail and Transit Funding |
|||
| Federal Railroad Administration | $3 billion | $2.9 billion | $2.87 billion |
| Federal Transit Administration | $13.5 billion | $13 billion | $13.4 billion |
| Amtrak | $2 billion | $2 billion | $1.94 billion |
| Restoration and Enhancement Grants | $0 | $2 million | $5 million |
| Transit Formula Grants | $10.1 billion | $10.1 billion | $9.9 billion |
| Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant Program | $350 million | $255 million | $255 million |
| Capital Investment Grants | $2.3 billion | $2 billion | $2.5 billion |
Aviation and Airport Funding |
|||
| Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) | $17.7 billion | $17.7 billion | $17.5 billion |
| Next Generation Air Transportation Systems (NextGen) | $61.5 million | 61.5 million | $61.3 million |
| Essential Air Service (EAS) program | $175 million | $162 million | $178 million |
| Small Community Air Service Development Program (SCASDP) | $10 million | $10 million | $10 million |
| Airport Improvement Program (AIP) | $3.85 billion | $3.8 billion | $3.85 billion |
| Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Research | $25 million | $24 million | $24 million |
| UAS Integration Activities | $68.4 million | $68.4 million | $56 million |
Transportation Safety Programs |
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| National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) | $1 billion | $972 million | $1.3 billion |
| Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) | $281.5 million | $278 million | $165 million |
| Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration | $677 million | $679 million | $667 million |
Maritime Infrastructure |
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| Maritime Administration | $1.1 billion | $904 million | $1.1 billion |
| Port Infrastructure Development Program | $225 million | $91.6 million | $292.7 million |
