U.S. House budget includes big cuts to Amtrak funding

A transportation budget making its way through the U.S. House of Representatives stands to make severe cuts to programs to expand alternatives to driving.

On Tuesday, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee voted 34 to 27 on the FY24 budget that passed through the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee (THUDRAS). 

That body recommends removing all federal funding for the intercity passenger rail grant program in part because of the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act under a different Congress controlled by the Democratic Party. That’s a total of $660,000,000. 

The funding cuts jeopardize a plan to increase rail capacity in Virginia. In December 2019, former Governor Ralph Northam announced a $3.7 billion initiative to purchase right of way and make track investments to increase frequency of trains. The Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative includes a plan to extend passenger service to Christiansburg and the New River Valley.

The bill also eliminates all future funding for the RAISE grant program that is being used to pay for infrastructure projects across the country. 

The bill approved by the House Appropriations Committee totals $90.243 billion in funding which is about $8.633 billion below the amount requested by President Joe Biden. 

A summary of the bill on the Appropriations website calls this sort of spending “wasteful” and reflects a Republican priority to eliminate investment from the federal government. 

This is an emerging story. 

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