By Ron Thaniel
July 25, 2005

FY06 Transportation Appropriations
Program	Senate Committee	House Passed
Highway	$40.2 Billion	$37.8 Billion
Transit	$8.2 Billion (SAFETEA Level)	$8.4 Billion (TEA-LU Level)
Aviation	$14.3 Billion (AIP $3.5 Billion)	$14.8 Billion (AIP $3.6 Billion)
Amtrak	$1.45 Billion	$1.17 Billion

July 21, in a 28-0 vote, the Senate Appropriations Committee increased Amtrak’s FY06 funding by additional $50 million to $1.45 billion surpassing the record level approved earlier this week by the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee.

The $1.45 billion contained in the Transportation – Treasury – Judiciary – HUD FY06 Appropriations bill is split between the $1.4 to $1.5 billion U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General Kenneth Mead said Amtrak would need to maintain current services.

The Bush Administration issued a veto threat before the Subcommittee vote on Tuesday of any bill that would provide $1.4 billion for Amtrak without mandating changes in the way Amtrak functions.

With one week remaining before the August recess, it is unlikely the bill will reach the Senate floor before September.

The House approved, before the July 4 recess, nearly $1.2 billion for Amtrak.

Amtrak has annually received about $1.2 billion over the last two years.

The bill would also provide $40.2 billion for highway spending, $8.2 billion for transit spending, and $14.3 billion in spending for the Federal Aviation Administration, of that $3.5 billion would be appropriated for airport improvement grants.

The House and Senate July 21 cleared a tenth extension of TEA-21. This extension of the current transportation program, The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), will give conferees until July 27 to workout the donor-donee issue. Donor states are pushing for an increase in return to 92 cents on the dollar, up from 90.5 cents in TEA-21. The funding framework reached before the July 4 recess would have brought states to the 92 cent minimum threshold by FY09.

The Department of Transportation July 21 launched a new website containing information to help ensure safe and secure transportation for persons with disabilities in the event of a disaster or emergency.The new site includes advice on emergency preparedness, transportation accessibility, and evacuation methods for certain modes of transportation, such as rail and transit systems. Disabled individuals can learn how to react in situations ranging from evacuations of mass transit systems to being trapped in a car during a blizzard or hurricane. The site also includes links to Department of Homeland Security web pages that provide information on preparing for specific emergencies, including natural disasters such as severe weather, fire and earthquakes, as well as man-made disasters such as spills of hazardous materials. In addition, the site also provides information for transportation providers on how to respond to the unique needs of people with disabilities during an emergency. The web address is http://www.dotcr.ost.dot.gov/asp/emergencyprep.asp.

ders on how to respond to the unique needs of people with disabilities during an emergency. The web address is http://www.dotcr.ost.dot.gov/asp/emergencyprep.asp.