Urge Your Members of Congress to Support Fully Funding the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
House THUD Appropriations Subcommittee Marks Up Transportation Appropriations Bill
Tomorrow (June 27), the House Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee will mark up H.R. ___, the THUD Appropriations Act, 2025.
The House THUD Appropriations bill significantly cuts public transit and passenger rail funding, as authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Specifically, the THUD Appropriations bill, together with the IIJA’s advance appropriations, provides a total of $19.6 billion for public transit in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, a cut of $1.3 billion (-6.2 percent) from the FY 2024 enacted level. This total funding is $2.4 billion (-10.8 percent) less than the amount authorized in the IIJA.
In addition, the House THUD Appropriations bill and IIJA provide $16.0 billion for passenger and freight rail in FY 2025, a cut of $262 million (-1.6 percent) from the FY 2024 enacted level. This total funding is $4.6 billion (-22.4 percent) less than the amount authorized in the IIJA. The bill cuts the General Fund appropriation for Amtrak by $303 million (-12.5 percent), while increasing funding for Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grants by $99.6 million (50.0 percent) from the FY 2024 enacted levels.
The bill also includes several troubling policy riders, such as prohibiting actions on equity action plans and greenhouse gas emissions measures.
After the Subcommittee markup, the House Committee on Appropriations is expected to consider the bill in the near future. In addition, the Senate Committee on Appropriations is expected to consider its THUD Appropriations bill in July.
APTA strongly encourages you to contact your Members of Congress and urge them to honor the promise of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law by fully funding public transit and passenger rail in the FY 2025 THUD Appropriations bill.
Public Transit
The House THUD Appropriations bill and IIJA provide $19.6 billion for public transit in FY 2025, a cut of $1.3 billion (-6.2 percent) from the FY 2024 enacted level. This total funding is $2.4 billion (-10.8 percent) less than the amount authorized in the IIJA.
The bill fully funds the public transit contract authority of $14.28 billion as provided by the IIJA. This funding represents a $289 million increase from the FY 2024 enacted level. It also does not rescind the IIJA’s advance appropriations, including funding for Capital Investment Grants (CIG), State of Good Repair, and Low or No Emission Bus Competitive grants.
However, the bill significantly cuts total CIG funding. The THUD Appropriations bill and IIJA provide $2.4 billion for Capital Investment Grants, a cut of $1.5 billion (-38.1 percent) from the FY 2024 enacted level. The bill cuts the General Fund appropriation for CIG funding by 66 percent. Of the $755 million General Fund appropriation, $485 million is available for new fixed guideway projects and up to $265 million is available for Small Starts. Moreover, the bill provides no funding for Core Capacity projects.
The bill significantly cuts CIG funding even though many public transit agencies are pursuing CIG projects to address the mobility demands of their communities. Currently, communities are requesting $45.1 billion of CIG funds in FY 2025 and subsequent years to fund construction of 65 projects in 24 states. View APTA’s CIG Project Pipeline Dashboard.
Unlike prior THUD Appropriations Acts, the bill does not provide additional funding above IIJA authorized levels for Buses and Bus Facilities Competitive Grants, Low-No Emission Bus Competitive Grants; or Ferry Grants. However, it does include $116 million of additional funds for congressionally directed spending on designated public transit projects.
The THUD Appropriations bill does include an important transit policy provision: section 163 of the bill blocks the Rostenkowski Test, preventing a possible across-the-board cut of FY 2025 transit formula funds to each public transit agency. However, unlike prior years, the bill does not prohibit DOT from impeding or hindering a project from advancing or approving a project seeking a CIG federal share of more than 40 percent.
View APTA’s Public Transit Funding Table of the THUD Appropriations bill.
Passenger Rail
The House THUD Appropriations bill and IIJA provide $16.0 billion for passenger and freight rail in FY 2025, a cut of $262.8 million (-1.6 percent) from the FY 2024 enacted level. This total funding is $4.6 billion (-22.4 percent) less than the amount authorized in the IIJA.
The THUD Appropriations bill provides $2.1 billion for Amtrak grants ($1.1 billion for the National Network and $1 billion for the Northeast Corridor). The bill cuts the General Fund appropriation for Amtrak by $303 million (-12.5 percent). The bill provides no additional funding for Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail grants.
The bill provides $298.5 million for CRISI grants, an increase of $99.6 million (50.0 percent) from the FY 2024 enacted levels.
Section 154 of the bill prohibits any funding for the California High-Speed Rail Authority project.
View APTA’s Passenger Rail Funding Table of the House THUD Appropriations bill.
U.S. Department of Transportation Programs
The legislation provides no General Fund appropriation for Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) or Mega competitive grants for surface transportation projects, including public transportation and multi-modal projects.
Section 126 of the bill prohibits any funding to finalize, implement, or enforce the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) December 7, 2023, final rule on Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Measures. APTA strongly supports FHWA’s efforts on the GHG rulemaking. See October 13, 2022, APTA Comment on FHWA Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Regarding National Performance Management Measures; Assessing Performance of the National Highway System, Greenhouse Gas Emissions Measure (87 FR 42401).
Section 423 of the bill prohibits any funding to require any information or reporting with respect to any DOT grant program in accordance with an equity action plan, including the DOT Equity Action Plan published in January 2022.
Section 125 of the bill prohibits any funding for activities to implement New York City congestion pricing under the Value Pricing Pilot Program or New York City’s Central Business District Tolling Program.
View the House Committee on Appropriations Summary of the THUD Appropriations bill.
View the House THUD Appropriations bill.
Transit Security in the House FY 2025 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill
On June 14, the House Appropriations Committee reported H.R. 8752, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2025, to include funding allocations for the Federal Emergency Management Agency preparedness grants: Public Transportation Security Assistance; Railroad Security Assistance; and the Over-the-Road Bus Security Assistance under sections 1406, 1513, and 1532 of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 (6 U.S.C. 1135, 1163, and 1182). The House is considering the measure today.
This bill authorizes $10 million for Amtrak security, $2 million for Over-the-Road Bus Security, and $93 million for the Transit Security Grant Program (TSGP). The TSGP provides funds to eligible public transportation systems to protect critical surface transportation infrastructure and the traveling public from acts of terrorism.
View the House Committee on Appropriations Report on the Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2025.
