Appropriations for FY2003: Transportation and Related Agencies (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Revised April 1, 2003 |
| Report Number |
RL31308 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
David Randall Peterman and John Frittelli, Resources, Science and Industry Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
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Summary:
On February 20, 2003, President Bush signed the FY2003 Consolidated Appropriations
Resolution
( H.J.Res. 2 : H.Rept. 108-10 , P.L. 108-7 ), providing appropriations for the Department
of Transportation (DOT) and other departments. Congress agreed to the conference committee
report on February 13, 2003. It provides $64.6 billion to the DOT and related agencies for FY2003,
minus a 0.65% across-the-board rescission which reduces the total by around $420 million (figures
in this report do not reflect the 0.65% rescission, as it is unclear how that cut would be calculated
for DOT and related agencies overall and for particular departments, agencies, and programs in the
bill). This is $9 billion more than the President requested for FY2003, the primary difference being
increased highway spending. It is $1.8 billion less than enacted in FY2002, a year in which
transportation appropriations were boosted by supplemental spending for security and for repair of
damage to transportation infrastructure in New York City. Prior to the passage of P.L. 108-7 , DOT
was funded through a series of 8 Continuing Resolutions (CRs) that provided funding at FY2002
levels, prorated.
The events of September 11, 2001, have had a significant impact on DOT's budget. The DOT
received an extra $7.3 billion in FY2002 in emergency supplemental appropriations, much of it for
security-related activities, including the creation of an entirely new agency, the Transportation
Security Administration (TSA). During FY2003 the Coast Guard and TSA are scheduled to be
transferred to the newly-created Department of Homeland Security.
The abrupt decrease from FY2002 to FY2003 in requested federal-aid highway funding--from
$32 billion to $24 billion--caused a stir. It was mandated by the Revenue-Aligned Budget Authority
(RABA) provision in the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) that ties annual
highway funding levels to trust fund revenues; trust fund revenues dropped below predicted levels
in 2001. The second FY2002 emergency supplemental act ( P.L. 107-206 ) included a provision
setting the RABA adjustment for FY2003 to zero, effectively restoring the federal-aid highway
program to $27.7 billion, the level authorized in TEA-21. The House Appropriations Committee
recommended this level; the Senate-passed version of H.J.Res. 2 maintained the
FY2002 level (which was $4.5 billion over the authorized level as a result of a RABA increase that
year) for FY2003, $31.8 billion. P.L. 108-7 provided $31.8 billion.
P.L. 108-7 provides Amtrak $1.05 billion, plus deferral of repayment of a $100 million loan,
which it said would be enough to keep it solvent through FY2003. The bill introduced a new policy
on Amtrak oversight, providing the money not to Amtrak directly but to the Secretary of
Transportation, who will provide the money to Amtrak in quarterly installments through the
grant-making process. Each of Amtrak's long-distance routes will have to have a separate grant
application for funding.
