House proposes short-term continuing resolution that would cut transit and high-speed rail

Written by jrood

American Public Transportation Association issued a legislative alert: Leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate and the Obama Administration are attempting to forge a compromise on final spending levels for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2011. The current Continuing Resolution that is funding the federal government expires on Friday, April 8 at midnight. Congress must either enact another short term CR, or reach a compromise on a package for spending for the remainder of the fiscal year by that deadline to avert a government shutdown. Although budget negotiators for the Congress and the Administration state that they are close to reaching a deal on the budget levels for the remainder of the year (which would contain substantial reductions in funding for discretionary domestic programs), it is likely that an additional short-term CR will be needed. The House Committee on Appropriations filed a one-week CR that would fund the federal government through April 15. The House bill proposes to reduce funding for the current year by an additional $12 billion below FY 2010 levels. Among the reductions in the one week CR proposed by the House are cuts in four programs critical to transit and passenger rail. Proposed reductions include: • $1.5 billion for high speed Rail. This proposal would reduce funding for the HSR program from $2.5 billion provided in FY 2010, to $1 billion for FY 2011, the same level proposed in the President's budget for this year. • $280 million for Capitol Investment Grants. The proposal would reduce funding for the New Starts Program from $2 billion in FY 2010 to $1,720,000 in FY 2011. The bulk of these funds would come from the cancelled New Jersey ARC Tunnel project. • $3,270,000 for FTA research and university research centers. The proposal would reduce funding for this program from $65,670,000 in FY 2010 to $62,400,000 in FY 2011. • $40 million for rail and transit security grants. The proposal would reduce funding at the Department of Homeland Security for this program from $300 million in FY 2010 to $260 million in FY 2011. It is important to note that the House proposed CR would only reduce funding for the current fiscal year, below FY 2010 levels. It does not seek to reduce or rescind funds appropriated in previous years. APTA has sent a letter to leaders of the U.S. House and Senate opposing these reductions that disproportionately target transit and passenger rail programs. APTA urges people to contact Members of Congress and urge them to maintain current funding levels for public transportation and passenger rail in the FY 2011 budget.  

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