House Endorses White House Budget—But Raids Future Funding

By Sean Jeans-Gail, VP of Gov’t Affairs + Policy; Maximilian Pohlenz, Policy Intern

--

The House Appropriations Committee released its Fiscal Year 2026 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) budget proposal this week, endorsing the approach to rail programs outlined by the Trump Administration in its Presidential Budget Request. The bill puts forth solid numbers for rail programs—including $2.312 billion for Amtrak and $538.4 million for Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program. However, a closer reading reveals that this funding is reallocated from future dedicated rail funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) for expansion and upgrades to the U.S. passenger rail network. This budgetary sleight-of-hand undercuts what is, at first glance, a solid budgetary blueprint for rail.

[Read the full bill here]

Unfortunately, the budget proposal also slashes funding for the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program by 98 percent compared to last year’s levels. The CIG Program is the primary source of federal assistance for transit capital investments, targeting upgrades to heavy rail, commuter rail, light rail, streetcars, and bus rapid transit.

“Rail Passengers Association appreciates the Committee’s recognition that Amtrak and CRISI are important transportation programs that deserve to be funded,” said Jim Mathews, President & CEO. “However, we cannot condone an approach which robs future generations of passengers of a sustainable and reliable rail network to keep today’s trains running. We find it noteworthy that the reduction in advanced appropriations for passenger rail is roughly equivalent to the increase in spending for the Federal Aviation Administration in this year’s THUD bill, given that our nation’s air traffic control system is a cautionary tale about the consequences of deferred capital investment.”

Specific takings in the House THUD bill include:

• Transfers $2.3 billion in advanced appropriations from FY26 Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail (FSP) advanced appropriations to pay for Amtrak operations;
• Draws $538 million in FY26 FSP advanced appropriations to fund CRISI grants, which are used for freight and passenger rail upgrades; and
• Rescinds $75 million in unobligated FY25 FSP funding.

Rail Passengers is calling on the Committee to restore advanced appropriations for this critical passenger rail program in the full Committee markup, scheduled for this Thursday.