TRUMP’s ‘AMERICA FIRST’ BUDGET PROPOSAL CUTS DOT FUNDING BY 13%

President Donald Trump’s proposed “America First” budget for 2018 would cut Department of Transportation’s funding by 13%, or $2.4 billion from the 2017 annualized continuing resolution (CR) level.

The budget that continues the pre-existing appropriations at the same levels as the previous fiscal year, or with minor modifications for a set amount of time.

The DOT says the program “supports innovative projects, including multi-modal and multi-jurisdictional projects, which are difficult to fund through traditional federal programs.”

The proposal estimates another $175 million in savings by eliminating funding for the Essential Air Service (EAS) program, “which was originally conceived of as a temporary program nearly 40 years ago to provide subsidized commercial air service to rural airports.”

The proposal would also reduce federal subsidies to Amtrak, limit funding for the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Program to projects with existing full funding grant agreements only, and initiate a “multi-year reauthorization proposal to shift the air traffic control function of the Federal Aviation Administration to an independent, non-governmental organization, making the system more efficient and innovative while maintaining safety.”

The full budget is expected to be released later in the spring, and should include “specific mandatory and tax proposals, as well as a full fiscal path,” according to President Trump.

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