Congress Returns to Finalize Fiscal 2025 Bills
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Members of Congress return to Washington this month tasked with finalizing fiscal 2025 measures designed to avert a government shutdown this fall.
With a funding deadline fast approaching, both chambers are scheduled to resume their legislative schedules the week of Sept. 9. House and Senate leaders indicated they will continue to press lawmakers on bipartisan agreements for bills that would fund the U.S. Department of Transportation and other agencies beyond Sept. 30.
Before leaving Washington for the August recess, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called on colleagues to resolve policy differences associated with the fiscal 2025 appropriations process in order to avert a shutdown. Major ongoing partisan funding disputes pertain to immigration as well as access to voting. “It’s going to take bipartisanship to avert a shutdown, as it always does,” Schumer explained.
Recognizing this month’s limited legislative window, a growing expectation on Capitol Hill is for Schumer and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to sign off on short-term funding bills before the end-of-the-month deadline. Congressional aides indicated measures that would avert a shutdown would provide lawmakers additional time to finalize funding bills after the November elections.
Johnson
Before the congressional summer break, the Senate Appropriations Committee gave near-unanimous backing to a transportation bill that would provide $964.5 million for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Also, the Senate bill would provide the Federal Highway Administration $63.1 billion, the Federal Aviation Administration $22 billion, the Federal Transit Administration $17 billion, Federal Railroad Administration $3.4 billion and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration $1.2 billion.
Dollar Distribution
Proposed funding for U.S. Department of Transportation agencies in the fiscal 2025 bill:
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration: $964.5 million
- Federal Highway Administration: $63.1 billion
- Federal Aviation Administration: $22 billion
- Federal Transit Administration: $17 billion
- Federal Railroad Administration: $3.4 billion
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: $1.2 billion
On the other side of the Capitol, a House committee passed its version of the transportation funding bill that would provide FMCSA with $909 million. The House bill also would dedicate $200 million for expanding parking availability for truck drivers. Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.), chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, said the bill “prioritizes the safety of all modes of transportation from our railways to roads and airways.”
“We ensure a responsible safety net with housing support for our most vulnerable citizens,” the chairman added.
American Trucking Associations touted the truck parking proposal included in the House committee-passed measure. “The severe shortage of truck parking places an enormous burden on truck drivers, who often don’t know if they will be able to find a safe place to sleep when they finish their shift. This significant investment to expand parking capacity would help alleviate stress on truck drivers, move freight more efficiently and make the roadways safer for all motorists,” ATA President Chris Spear said during the bill’s consideration. “We thank the members of the House Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee for prioritizing this funding that will benefit truck drivers and our supply chain, and we are especially appreciative of the decisive leadership of [Rep.] Womack for ensuring this provision was incorporated in the final bill.”
Buttigieg
Floor votes have yet to be scheduled this month on government funding measures. Failing to clear for President Joe Biden funding bills by Oct. 1 would result in a partial federal shutdown. Speaking with reporters Sept. 4, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg argued for certainty in the federal budget process. As he put it, “We always hope for the best and simultaneously prepare for anything. We’re certainly hopeful that we can have the right kind of robust funding ready for the future. The president’s budget request laid out what is going to be required in order to meet goals that I think most Americans would consider to be nonpartisan.”
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