House strips funding for FY 2005

Having stripped away funding for the federal-aid highway, highway safety, rail and transit programs the House approved an FY 2005 funding bill for the departments of Transportation and Treasury by a vote of 397-20.

Although the Appropriations Committee had sent an $89.9 billion spending bill to the House floor, a turf war between the House appropriators and authorizers resulted in the elimination of $50 billion of spending in the bill. The spending bill was not protected from amendment by the House Rules Committee, leaving it open to a barrage of points of order that eliminated many programs.

Appropriations leaders assured members that funding would be restored in a House-Senate conference. The house rejected on a 201-210 party-line vote a motion to return the bill to committee.

The Senate's DOT spending bill would provide some $90.6 billion for the Transportation and Treasury Departments, including $34.6 billion in highway obligation authority. Appropriators were hoping to see that bill on the Senate floor this week.