Senate committee approves transportation and HUD budget

A $53.4 billion budget for the Transportation and Housing and Urban Development departments was approved on Tuesday by a Senate subcommittee.

The measure was approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee's subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies. It is less than the $74 billion President Obama requested for transportation in his 2013 budget proposal, and $44.8 billion less than he called for housing and urban development. 

It also decreases funding on the agencies from $57.3 billion in the current fiscal year.

But committee chairman Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said it was still a significant amount of funding for transportation.

“This legislation will create jobs and make critical investments in our nation’s roads, bridges, rail and transit systems, and airports," Murray said in a statement. "The bill also preserves an essential part of the country’s safety net by protecting housing assistance for low-income families and veterans.  

"I am proud of the bipartisan work that went into this legislation," she continued. "Working together, we put together a balanced bill that makes responsible investments in our economy and our nation while living within today’s budget constraints.”

The bill includes $39 billion for federal highway programs and $1.75 billion for rail projects, including $1.45 billion for the national passenger rail service, Amtrak.

The measure also includes $956 million for the Federal Aviation Administration's proposed satellite navigation system and $500 million for the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program.

The appropriations bill goes next to the full Senate Appropriations Committee.
    

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