Highlights: The White House on Monday issued veto threats against two GOP-led House appropriations bills expected to come up for a vote this week as lawmakers seek to avoid a government shutdown in November.
The House bills would cut Department of Transportation funding by $7 billion compared to fiscal 2023 levels, $1.2 billion from HUD funding compared to 2023 levels, and nearly $4 billion from EPA funding compared to 2023 levels.
In both cases, the White House argued the bills put forward by Republicans in the House undercut an agreement reached by administration officials and GOP lawmakers in May on spending as part of negotiations to raise the debt limit.
DoT has seen an explosive increase in budget by 66% since 2019. I am not convinced that a 3% cut to stem the deficit is devastating.
I don’t deny that American transportation and logistics are aging and need reform but this economic and high interest climate doesn’t seem like the best time to go all in.