House hearing to examine DOT budget, policies

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will testify in front of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee this week to answer questions about policy decisions and his department’s 2025 budget request.

The hearing, “Oversight of the Department of Transportation’s Policies and Programs and Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request,” will be at 10 a.m. Eastern on Thursday, June 27.

A livestream of the hearing will be posted here.

The hearing will be an opportunity for lawmakers to ask Buttigieg about the DOT’s implementation of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, as well as the department’s $109.3 billion budget request.

DOT budget request

The DOT’s 2024 budget request includes $964.6 million to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Some of the components of the request include:

• $526.5 million for motor carrier safety grants
• $43.6 million to continue IT modernization initiatives
• $12 million for a medium-duty truck crash causal factors study

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requested $1.3 billion to invest in efforts to reduce traffic crashes and fatalities.

Buttigieg speaks out against predatory towing fees

Last week, Buttigieg provided the opening remarks at a meeting aimed at improving transparency when a tractor-trailer requires a third-party tow.

Also referred to as a nonconsensual tow, a third-party tow happens when law enforcement calls the local towing rotation list to have a tractor-trailer removed following a crash or other incident. In these situations, the motor carrier is unable to choose the towing company or negotiate prices.

“This department has been clear in our support of protections against predatory towing junk fees,” Buttigieg said. “Truckers often have to travel far from home to deliver the goods that everyone depends on. In the event that their truck gets towed, they may not have any relationship or familiarity with the towing company that moves their vehicle. Until they get that vehicle back, their job and really their livelihood is put on hold. Tow truck drivers also play an essential role in keeping our roads safe by removing disabled vehicles. But in some cases, some players in the towing space recognize and exploit the vulnerability of these situations. Of course, there are necessary and fair costs associated with the towing of a commercial vehicle. But some companies have seen an opportunity to charge exorbitant fees.”

THUD hearing

In addition to the T&I hearing, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development subcommittee will hold a markup hearing at 8:30 a.m. Eastern on Thursday, June 27.

That hearing can be livestreamed here. LL