Transportation and HUD Cuts Stake out Front Lines for Impending Budget Battle

"Constrained by Paul Ryan’s budget and the sequester, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and HUD passed a $44 billion spending bill for 2014 – 15 percent lower than 2013 enacted levels," reports Tanya Snyder. "The bill contains $15.3 billion in discretionary appropriations for the Department of Transportation, also 15 percent below enacted 2013 levels and amounting to about two-thirds of the president’s request."

"The budget would eliminate both TIGER and high-speed rail funding (as have all House-passed budgets in recent memory), cut Amtrak’s subsidy by a third, and bring HUD’s Community Development Block Grants back to Ford administration levels," she notes. "While the cuts are steep, as in past years they are unlikely to be enacted, given Democratic control of the Senate."

"The House’s austerity package will meet with firm opposition in the Democratic-controlled Senate, which will likely pass something along the lines of President Obama’s budget proposal — more than twice what the House is willing to spend — leading to another budget stalemate and, likely, yet another continuing resolution that just maintains current spending levels for next year."