House Approves Fiscal 2020 Transportation Funding Bill
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Funding for freight safety programs would be increased and infrastructure grants would receive $1 billion under fiscal 2020 legislation the U.S. House of Representatives advanced Dec. 17.
As part of a multibill package that would ensure federal government funding, the House voted 297 to 120 to advance $1 billion for the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development, or BUILD, grants. Also in the bill, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration would receive $679 million, $12 million above the 2019 enacted level.
Lowey
The legislation advances to the Senate, where lawmakers there will have a few days to consider it in order to avert a government shutdown. Funding for federal agencies expires Dec. 20. A White House official recently indicated President Donald Trump would support the funding measure.
“I’m pleased that we have reached a bipartisan agreement that will keep government open, provide the certainty of full-year funding, and make strong investments in key priorities for American communities,” said House Appropriations Committee Chair Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.). “With higher spending levels in line with the bipartisan budget agreement, we are scaling up funding for priorities that will make our country safer and stronger and help hardworking families get ahead.”
Overall, the U.S. Department of Transportation would receive $86.2 billion, a decrease of about $324 million from the 2019 enacted level. Related to trucking policy, the measure would prohibit funding for the enforcement of the electronic logging device mandate for livestock or insects haulers.
The bill also would provide $49.3 billion for the Federal Highway Administration, $17.6 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration, $12.9 billion for the Federal Transit Administration, $2.8 billion for the Federal Railroad Administration and $989 million for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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