Dive Brief:
- The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure submitted its comments and estimates for programs under its jurisdiction to the House Budget Committee for the fiscal year 2027 budget in a short markup session Thursday.
- The committee said in a written statement that it “intends to prioritize a broad legislative and oversight agenda during the coming fiscal year focused on maintaining the safety, reliability, and long-term sustainability of the Nation’s transportation and infrastructure systems.”
- The committee said it would “continue to examine and evaluate” President Donald Trump’s fiscal year 2027 budget request, which emphasizes aviation safety and modernization, but leaves surface transportation funding at levels that “are not representative of Congressional action.”
Dive Insight:
Federal legislation to fund highways, freight and passenger rail, public transportation, aviation and ferries is moving forward along two tracks. The House transportation committee passed a 1,005-page, five-year surface transportation bill, while a one-year budget bill moved forward in a House appropriations subcommittee on May 21.
If Congress and the president are unable to pass multi-year legislation, the FY 2027 bill, if enacted, would fund critical transportation programs following the expiration of the 2021 infrastructure bill on Sept. 30. However, the FY 2027 bill would cut funding for public transit by 23% and for passenger rail by 82%, according to an analysis by the American Public Transportation Association.
“We've had a productive session so far,” Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., ranking member of the transportation committee, said during the markup session. “These views and estimates I believe reflect our desire to continue working in a bipartisan and productive manner, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the FY 2027 budget views and estimates.”
Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., chair of the transportation committee, said during yesterday’s session, “I'm proud to say that we've advanced critical legislation in a bipartisan manner, and our hard work is paying off for the American people.”
