Senate panel advances $55.7B spending bill for transportation, housing

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday advanced a nearly $55.7 billion bill funding the Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development for the next fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1.

Appropriators reported the bill out of committee in a 20-10 vote.

During the markup, Republicans wrapped in an amendment from Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) that would increase the national truck trailer length from 28 feet to 33 feet without making any changes to the national federal weight limit. It also would require the Transportation Department to conduct a study about the effects of each length.

Republicans blocked amendments from Democrats that would have boosted funding to infrastructure projects, aviation, passenger rail programs and rental assistance.

“The demands for more infrastructure investments are significant. The budget requires us to set priorities and this Senate bill makes those choices and focuses on using the taxpayer money wisely,” Chairman Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) said.

{mosads}Ranking Member Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) applauded many of the investments in the measure, but said it doesn’t go far enough because of sequestration spending ceilings that will return in October unless Congress strikes a budget deal to lift them.

“This bill is an example of where we have the will but not the wallet because of sequester-based budgeting. The real losers are America’s infrastructure needs and housing,” she said.

The House has already passed its version of the bill, which contained $55.3 billion and less funding for Amtrak.

Under the Senate’s bill, Amtrak would receive nearly $1.4 billion compared to the $1.1 billion in the House measure. President Obama had requested $2.5 billion for the rail service, which had to deal with a deadly train derailment near Philadelphia last month.

The Transportation Department would receive $17.78 billion in discretionary funding, which is $17 million below the 2015 level and $3.9 billion below Obama’s request.

The FAA, for example, would receive $16 billion, which is $294 million above the 2015 level and $175 million more than Obama’s request. The GOP-sponsored bill rejects the administration’s proposals for new passenger facility charge fees and transfer authority.

The Housing and Urban Development Department would receive $37.56 billion for next year, which is $2 billion more than current levels and $3 billion less than Obama’s request.

That funding includes rental assistance and programs to address youth homelessness, among other things.

The bill contains controversial policy provisions, including one that would exempt a highway in Texas from federal truck weight limits and one that would allow public-private partnerships to be exempt from criteria the Transportation Department uses to evaluate good use of taxpayer dollars.

The House has passed six out of a dozen spending bills for fiscal 2016, but the Senate has passed none.

Senate Democrats have pledged to block all GOP spending bills that are based on sequestration budget caps, which they did on a Pentagon funding bill last week, until a budget deal is reached.