Appropriations for FY1998: Department of Transportation and Related Agencies (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Nov. 13, 1997 |
| Report Number |
97-208 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Paul F. Rothberg and Duane Thompson, Science Policy Research Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
For FY1998, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) requested total funding of $38.384
billion, about a 2.6% decrease from the FY1997 estimate of $39.204 billion. The FY1998 budget
request for the DOT was similar in many respects to the FY1997 appropriation. For many of the
DOT modal administrations, for example, the Federal Railroad Administration, the Federal Aviation
Administration, and the Federal Highway Administration, funding levels were requested to decrease
slightly but most programs and priorities would continue. A small increase was for the U.S. Coast
Guard.
There were many "macro" issues or factors that influenced the debate over the Administration's
FY1998 budget request. These included: the proposed reauthorization of the federal surface
transportation programs, pressure to reduce discretionary outlays to achieve a balanced budget, a
$100 million request for a Transportation Infrastructure Credit Program, the recommendations of the
White House Commission on Aviation Safety, and the proposed deployment of new user fees to
offset costs incurred in some of the safety programs. In addition, the ongoing debate about the
budget status of transportation trust funds affected the issues that developed during the FY1998
appropriations cycle.
The Administration stated that its budget proposal for DOT adequately reflected its priorities
of safety, technology development, environmental enhancement, infrastructure needs, and innovative
financing. Budget highlights included requests for:
$25.6 billion for infrastructure investments;
over $1 billion on transportation research and development (R&D);
$2.9 billion for transportation safety;
$0.7 billion for Amtrak, railroad retirement, and the Northeast Corridor
between Washington, D. C. , and New York City.
The House passed H.R. 2169 , DOT appropriations legislation, July 23, 1997. On
July 30, the Senate passed H.R. 2169 , after substituting the text of S. 1048 .
Following a conference, the House and Senate on October 9 agreed to the conference report, H.Rept.
105-313 . The bill was signed into law by the President on October 27, 1997. Until the legislation
was signed into law, the Department of Transportation operated on two, short-term continuing
resolutions, H.J.Res. 94 and H.J.Res. 97 . For FY1998, the conferees
provided $42.132 billion of total net budgetary resources for the U.S. DOT. This report is a synopsis
of selected DOT programs and the House and Senate funding recommended for those programs.
