Budget deal spares DC metro

Washington Metrorail will receive $150 million in federal funding Republicans had sought to eliminate under the budget deal reached last week to avoid a government shutdown.

The Washington Post reports that although Democrats and Republicans agreed to cut $1.5 billion in high-speed rail funding to keep the government running, they spared Metro.

Department of Transportation officials could not immediately verify the Metro funding for The Hill. Lawmakers passed a short-term continuing resolution late last Friday to avoid a shutdown of the federal government, but legislative language is still being drafted in both chambers for a bill that would fund the government through the end of September. Details are emerging slowly.

Officials in Washington, Maryland and Virginia had argued that the funding was crucial to track improvements and rail-car replacements on the aging system that takes many federal staffers to work. Metro recently celebrated its 30th anniversary and is in the midst of a massive capital overhaul.

The two states and the District are each putting up $50 million to match the federal appropriation that was preserved by the budget deal.

The budget deal takes other whacks at Washington though, including requiring vouchers for Washington schools and banning the use of D.C. money for anything related to abortions.

The provision prompted a protest in front of the Capitol on Monday afternoon by Washington Mayor Vincent Gray and the D.C. City Council. Gray and members of the council were arrested for holding up traffic.