Buttigieg to detail budgetary needs at Senate hearing

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will discuss his department’s $108.5 billion budget request at a Senate appropriations subcommittee hearing on Thursday, March 23.

Buttigieg is scheduled to testify at the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development hearing titled, “Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2024 Funding Request and Budge Justification for the U.S. Department of Transportation.” The hearing is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. Eastern on Thursday.

According to Buttigieg’s “Budget Highlights” document, the 2021 infrastructure law and the Inflation Reduction Act have provided “historic opportunities” to invest in the nation’s infrastructure.

Buttigieg wrote that the $108.5 billion request “will build on our tremendous progress by prioritizing important infrastructure improvements, innovative safety interventions, key systems modernizations and a multitude of new and continuing grant programs that invest in transportation projects that impact American people’s lives.”

He added that an additional $36.8 billion in guaranteed advance appropriations provided under the infrastructure law would give the DOT a total budget of $145.3 billion in fiscal year 2024.

FMCSA request

The Department of Transportation’s 2024 budget request includes $951.3 million for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a significant increase from the $874 million granted for fiscal year 2023.

Buttigieg wrote that $134.5 million in advance appropriates would give the FMCSA $1.1 billion in total resources for 2024. The budget requests $435 million for FMCSA’s operations and programs and $516.3 million for motor carrier safety grants.

Some of the components of the budget request:

• $297.8 million for general operating expenses.
• $99.1 million for information technology.
• $38.1 million for research and technology.
• $80 million for the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program grants.
• $1.3 million for Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training grants.
• $60 million for its High Priority Activities Program, which includes grants for projects that alert truck drivers about available parking through dynamic message signs, smartphone apps or other proven technology.
• $43.5 million for Commercial Driver’s License Program Implementation grants.
• $5 million for Commercial Motor Vehicle Enforcement Training and Support grants.

The hearing will be broadcast live here. LL