House Announces Schedule for Transportation Budget

House Appropriators Announces Schedule for Transportation Budget

Key Senator Already Eyeing Stop-Gap Funding Bill

By Sean Jeans-Gail, Vice President of Gov't Affairs + Policy

The House Committee on Appropriations announced the schedule this week for committee action on the Fiscal Year 2023 transportation budget. This legislation will shape the operating budgets for Amtrak and transit and commuter rail agencies across the nation—and help determine service levels for rail and transit operators still recovering from pandemic-related drops in ridership and ticket revenue.

House Democratic leadership advanced the Fiscal Year 2023 bills, though they have yet to reach a topline funding framework with Republicans. As justification, they pointed to the calendar and how few legislative days there are between now and September 30th, the end of the fiscal year.

“Beginning with next week’s markups, the Appropriations Committee will build off [FY22’s] transformative investments with bills that continue to help meet the needs of working people, lower costs, and address many of the major challenges we face at home and abroad,” Chair DeLauro said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues—on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers—to get our spending bills once again over the finish line.”

Amtrak and commuter railroads are having a Dickensian moment. With robust capital budgets from the bipartisan infrastructure bill, they have an opportunity to rectify decades of underinvestment. However, their operating budgets have taken a hit from the drop in commuting and business ridership caused by the pandemic. This leaves them even more dependent on federal operating grants—which are not included of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, and still must be passed by Congressional appropriators on an annual basis. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

We’re asking passengers to use our platform to write to their members of Congress and ensure the trains keep running. Rail Passengers has fought hard to restore train service to pre-pandemic levels, and we’re on track to achieve that goal this summer. We need your help to make sure we don’t see these wins reversed! Act Now to Support Amtrak and Transit Operations!

Senate Eyes Stop-Gap Extension

While it’s still June, Republican Senate Appropriations Co-Chair Richard Shelby is already banking on Congress missing the September 30th deadline. The senior Senator from Alabaman told reporters that he will prepare a stopgap funding measure to avoid a government shutdown. However, he is still holding out hope that Congress can dispense with the FY23 budget before the end of 2022.

“We’ve got a good chance before the year is out, if we get together, if we find a framework and work toward it like we did last year,” Shelby added. “It’ll probably be November, December.”

Another twist: the House Republican Study Committee (RSC) released its recommendations for the FY23 budget, which includes proposals to eliminate all operating and capital grants to Amtrak, slash transit funding, and prohibit high-speed rail funding. While these RSC proposals won’t find their way into FY23 legislation, with Republicans on track to retake the House after the midterm elections it is likely that they will be spotlighted in the next Congress.

Act Now to Support Amtrak and Transit Operations!