President Obama’s FY15 Budget proposes reforms at USDOT, focuses on local control and innovation, and finds revenue to fill the current Highway Trust Fund gap and increase investment in transportation. The Bipartisan Budget Act (P.L. 113-67), which became law on December 26, 2013, set top-line budget amounts not only for the remainder of FY14, but also for FY15, and makes it uncertain if the House or Senate will introduce or pass their own budget resolutions this year.

US DOT Secretary Foxx, however, has hinted that the Administration is prepared to send the proposed 4-year surface transportation reauthorization to Congress within the coming months. This would be a break from past practice for the Obama Administration and could provide additional momentum for the reauthorization process to move forward.

Department of Transportation Budget Details

• Proposes $90.9 billion in infrastructure investments, paid for with current Highway Trust Fund receipts and savings from a $150 billion unspecified corporate tax reform proposal.
• Proposes to reclassify all surface transportation outlays as mandatory (so they would not be subject to yearly cuts in the appropriations process), and also move a number of current General Fund programs to the Trust Fund.
• Creates a new Interagency Infrastructure Permitting Improvement Center to be located within the Office of the Secretary. The Center will develop and implement reforms for permitting and review of major infrastructure projects and develop and deploy information technology tools to improve the transparency and accountability of the permitting process.

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