The House Appropriations Committee recently released the FY 2019 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development funding bill. The legislation includes funding for the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT), the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and other related agencies.
In total, the bill reflects an allocation of $71.8 billion in discretionary spending—$1.5 billion above the fiscal year 2018 enacted level and $23.8 billion above the request. The allocation reflects the second year of the bipartisan budget agreement, and again targets resources to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure, including airports, roads, bridges, and rail.
The bill includes $27.8 billion in discretionary appropriations for the U.S. DOT for fiscal year 2019. This is $542 million above the fiscal year 2018 enacted level and $11.7 billion above the President’s request. In total budgetary resources, including offsetting collections, the bill provides $87.8 billion to improve and maintain the nation’s transportation infrastructure.
The bill targets funding to programs and projects that aim to increase efficiency, safety, reliability, and quality of life for the traveling public, and are designed to help create jobs and spur economic growth.
The bill highlights for transportation improvements include allowing $46 billion from the Highway Trust Fund to be spent on the Federal-aid Highways Program; $3.2 billion in funding for federal investments in rail infrastructure and safety programs; and $13.6 billion in total budgetary resources for the Federal Transit Administration.
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Source: House Appropriations Committee
