President Releases Budget; AEM to Push for Full Funding of Transportation Priorities by Congress

President George Bush released his proposed 2007 budget on February 6th, which included a number of AEM's transportation funding priorities. The budget requests slightly more than $39 billion in obligation authority for the federal highway program, which is a 9.6 percent increase over 2006 and includes the $38 billion recommended by the 2006 highway bill reauthorization. The Federal Aviation Authority is slated for a 15 percent budget cut, with the majority coming from the $2.75 obligation limitation request for the Airport Improvement Program. The Administration would fund transit priorities at $8.875 billion in 2006, including $1.466 billion on major capital investment grants, $100 million less than recommended in the highway bill reauthorization. In another development, the Administration proposed funding the operations and research work of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from the Highway Trust Fund, with no contributions from the general fund. AEM will work directly with members of Congress and through coalitions to ensure full funding of the highway bill by Congress.