House Republicans are moving to cut funding for infrastructure programs around the country, while at the same time recent train derailments and highway collapses have highlighted the need for ongoing repairs and maintenance.
President Joe Biden signed the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021 following unsuccessful attempts by his predecessor, former President Donald Trump, to pass an infrastructure bill. The legislation passed Congress when Democrats were in the majority in both houses of Congress, and most Republicans in the House and Senate opposed it.
The House Appropriations Committee is currently considering legislation that will determine funding priorities for federal agencies, including the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, for the 2024 fiscal year.
In a summary released by the committee’s Republican majority, the proposed cuts are described as a remedy to “wasteful Washington spending.” “The bill eliminates several programs and makes deep cuts to others, especially those that received large amounts in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,” the summary also notes.
The Washington Post reported that the committee is proposing cuts to projects that are designed to improve rail safety and to reduce lead contamination in water pipes.
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