It provides $64.6 billion for DOT and related agencies, butby agreement with the White House it also includes a 0.65% across-the-board rescission to holddown overall spending. 108-10, P.L. Prior to that, DOT funding hadcome from a series of 8 continuing appropriations acts, known as continuingresolutions (CRs), which provided agencies the same level of funding they receivedin FY2002 (minus extraordinary one-time appropriations) prorated on a daily basisfor the life of the CR. The events of September 11, 2001, have had a significant impact on the DOT's budget. The DOT received an additional $1.8 billion for FY2002 through anemergency supplemental bill passed on September 14, (2) and another $5.5 billionthrough another emergency supplemental bill passed on July 24, 2002, for a total of$7.3 billion in supplemental funding in FY2002. In FY2003,both the Coast Guard and TSA are scheduled to be transferred out of the DOT to thenewly-created Department of Homeland Security. 2 wasagreed to on February 13, 2003 ( H.Rept. President Bush signed the bill on February 20, 2003 (P. L. 108-7). Theimpact of this cut was magnified by the RABA boost to FY2002 highway funding of$4.5 billion over the guaranteed level. 107-206 ), which included a provision setting theRABA adjustment for FY2003 to zero (Section 1402). This had the effect ofrestoring FY2003 highway funding to the level guaranteed in TEA-21, $27.7 billion. It provided $31.8 billion for FY2003, the same amountprovided in FY2002. (4)
TSA was appropriated $1.3 billion in FY2002; it also received an additional $3.9 billion in the second FY2002 emergency supplemental bill (5) . In a change of policy, Congress did not provide the money directly to Amtrak, but tothe Secretary of Transportation, who will allocate the money to Amtrak quarterlythrough the grant-making process. Also, each of Amtrak's long-distance routes willhave to make individual grant applications to receive funding. The Consolidated Appropriations Resolution for FY2003, H.J.Res. P.L. 108-7 ), which included the DOTappropriations legislation and was signed by President Bush on February 20, 2003,provided $3.4 billion less a 0.65% across-the -board rescission (roughly $20 million)for AIP. The FY2003 Consolidated Appropriations Resolution ( H.J.Res. 108-7 provides $31.8 billion. Grants to States and Other Activities. 108-7 ), provides $1.05 billion for Amtrak, which is lower than the $1.2billion originally approved by the Senate but more than the $763 million originallyrecommended by the House Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee. 108-7 provides $1.05 billion, and defersrepayment of a $100 million loan; Amtrak said that should be sufficient to keep itoperating through FY2003. c These figures do not reflect the 0.65% across-the-board rescission included in P.L. 106-181 ), the current aviation authorizing legislation
FHWA: Federal Highway Administration 
FRA: Federal Railroad Administration 
FTA: Federal Transit Administration 
Hazmat: Hazardous materials (safety program in RSPA) 
HPP: High Priority Projects (FHWA) 
HTF: Highway Trust Fund 
IM: Interstate Maintenance program (FHWA) 
ITS: Intelligent Transportation Systems (FHWA) 
MCSAP: Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (FMCSA) 
New Starts: part of the FTA's Capital Grants and Loans Program which funds new fixed-guideway systems or extensions to existing systems
NHS: National Highway System; also a program within FHWA 
NHTSA: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 
NMCSA: National Motor Carrier Safety Administration 
O&M: Operations and Maintenance program (FAA) 
OIG: Office of the Inspector General of the DOT 
OST: Office of the Secretary of Transportation 
RABA: Revenue-Aligned Budget Authority 
RD&T: Research, Development and Technology program (FHWA) 
RE&D: Research, Engineering and Development program (FAA) 
RSPA: Research and Special Projects Administration
SCASD: Small Community Air Service Development program (FAA) 
STB: Surface Transportation Board 
STP: Surface Transportation Program (FHWA) 
TCSP: Transportation and Community and System Preservation Program (FHWA) 
TEA-21: Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century ( P.L. This is verysignificant from a budgeting standpoint. Additional highway funds can be provided annuallyby a mechanism called "Revenue Aligned Budget Authority" (RABA); RABA fundsaccrue to the trust fund as a result of increased trust fund revenues.
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 theDepartment of Transportation (DOT) and other departments. Congress agreed to the conferencecommittee report on February 13, 2003. It provides $64.6 billion to the DOT and related agenciesfor FY2003, minus a 0.65% across-the-board rescission which reduces the total by around $420million (figures in this report do not reflect the 0.65% rescission, as it is unclear how that cut wouldbe calculated for DOT and related agencies overall and for particular departments, agencies, andprograms in the bill). This is $9 billion more than the President requested for FY2003, the primarydifference being increased highway spending. It is $1.8 billion less than enacted in FY2002, a yearin which transportation appropriations were boosted by supplemental spending for security and forrepair 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 fundingat 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 forsecurity-related activities, including the creation of an entirely new agency, the TransportationSecurity Administration (TSA). During FY2003 the Coast Guard and TSA are scheduled to betransferred 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 annualhighway funding levels to trust fund revenues; trust fund revenues dropped below predicted levelsin 2001. The second FY2002 emergency supplemental act ( P.L. 107-206 ) included a provisionsetting the RABA adjustment for FY2003 to zero, effectively restoring the federal-aid highwayprogram to $27.7 billion, the level authorized in TEA-21. The House Appropriations Committeerecommended this level; the Senate-passed version of H.J.Res. 2 maintained theFY2002 level (which was $4.5 billion over the authorized level as a result of a RABA increase thatyear) 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 policyon Amtrak oversight, providing the money not to Amtrak directly but to the Secretary ofTransportation, who will provide the money to Amtrak in quarterly installments through thegrant-making process. Each of Amtrak's long-distance routes will have to have a separate grantapplication for funding.
Key Policy Staff
Division abbreviations: RSI = Resources, Science, and Industry Division.