Proposed Budget Would Gut Transportation Funding
April 15, 2011
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The weeklong stopgap spending plan (HR 1363) signed by President Obama on April 9 is designed to give Congress time to assemble and pass a compromise spending bill for the remainder of fiscal 2011. But it also made $2 billion in cuts from fiscal 2010 levels to a number of Transportation programs, including:
• $1.5 billion from high speed and intercity passenger rail.
• $280 million from transit new starts.
• $8.7 million from Federal Aviation Administration Facilities and Equipment account.
• $6.3 million from transportation planning, research and development.
• $3.5 million from FAA Research, Engineering and Development account.
• $2.5 million from Federal Railroad Administration Research and Development account.
Adding to these already devastating funding cuts is the budget proposed by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan for 2012. That would essentially gut the already underfunded and failing transportation system to nothing.
Edward Wytkind President of the Transportation Trades Department, (TTD AFL-CIO) which TCU is a member, said, “Chairman Ryan’s budget is a blueprint to ruin the nation’s already failing transportation system. It is a recipe for massive job loss, reflects a total disregard for the needs of Americans who continue to suffer under high unemployment, and destroys any hope that America will finally address the well-documented deterioration of our transportation system and infrastructure.”
TCU President Bob Scardelletti said’ “These cuts go beyond fiscal responsibility…they will strip transportation and safety to the bone. The hard working American men and women need their jobs now more than ever to keep our economy strong. These cuts will put them on the streets and place those on-the-job at risk with the proposed cuts to safety programs.
Click here to view the release from TTD President Edward Wytkind.
Click here to view the AFL-CIO statement on the Ryan Budget.
Click here to view the summary of the spending bill signed April 9.
