Updated: House Appropriations Releases USDOT Funding Bill

July 16, 2021

Editor’s note: The full list of Appropriations earmarks for THUD bill is available by clicking here.

The House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies or THUD passed by voice vote a $163 billion fiscal year 2022 THUD funding bill on July 12.

That legislation funds all the agencies and programs within both the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Photo by USDOT

The funding amount in that bill represents an increase of $25.9 billion compared to FY 2021, the committee noted.

For FY 2022, the appropriations bill provides a total of $105.7 billion in budgetary resources to USDOT – an increase of $19 billion above the FY year 2021 enacted level.

The proposed legislation also seeks to focus on transportation emission reductions, increase resiliency, and address historical inequities.

Meanwhile it also includes $428 million in member-directed earmarks or “Community Project Funding” that differs from $5.7 billion in earmarks contained in the INVEST in America Act passed on July 1 by the House.

The full list of Appropriations earmarks for THUD bill is available by clicking here.

Additionally, the overall bill aims to double investment in passenger and freight rail and expands port infrastructure programs by nearly a third.

Rep. Price

“Updating our nation’s aging infrastructure, including our housing stock, is central to our economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic,” explained Rep. David Price, D-N.C., the chairman of the THUD appropriations subcommittee, in a statement.

“This year’s THUD funding bill is centered on building a more equitable future,” he added. “It promotes housing stability by providing increased funding for rental assistance, expanding housing vouchers, and prioritizing safety in public housing. The bill nearly doubles passenger and freight rail investment, solidifying our commitment to more sustainable travel while focusing on climate resilience and mitigation.”

Other key transportation funding measures within the committee’s THUD bill include:

  • $1.2 billion for national infrastructure investments via the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity or RAISE program; an increase of $200 million from FY 2021. That includes $20 million for transportation planning grants to assist areas of persistent poverty, $10 million above FY 2021. An additional $100 million is included for a new grant program to spur Thriving Communities nationwide.
  • $61.9 billion in obligation limitation for the Federal Highway Administration, composed of $43.4 billion for apportioned programs to states, $14.3 billion designated for earmarks from the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (currently $5.7 billion is earmarked out of this amount), and remaining amounts for national-purpose programs. There is an additional $592 million from the general fund for Appropriations earmarks and other specific uses.
  • $18.9 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration, $896 million above FY 2021, including $1.5 billion for aviation safety and $400 million for discretionary Airport Improvement Program grants.
  • $886 million for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and $1.3 billion for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; consistent with the INVEST in America Act.
  • $4.1 billion for the Federal Railroad Administration including Amtrak, an increase of $1.3 billion above FY 2021.
  • $15.5 billion for the Federal Transit Administration, including $12.2 billion for transit formula grants, $2.5 billion for Capital Investment Grants including “New Starts,” and $580 million supplement from the general fund.
  • $1.3 billion for the Maritime Administration, $84 million above FY 2021.
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