Dive Brief:

• Senate Republicans on Tuesday failed to agree on a reconciliation budget bill to fund the government until Dec. 11. The bill would extend transportation programs funded by the Highway Trust Fund at fiscal year 2026 levels but would not continue the advance appropriations provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
• The proposed bill would reduce public transit investment 20% and passenger rail by 83% from current levels, according to the American Public Transportation Association. 
• Leaving out the advance appropriations would “immediately disrupt and delay ongoing planning, engineering, and construction of surface transportation projects across the nation,” APTA President and CEO Paul Skoutelas said in a July 31 letter to House and Senate leaders.

Dive Insight:

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said at a Tuesday press conference that “we intend to accomplish” funding the government “between now and the end of this week, or however long we’re here.” However, it won’t be easy to pass the reconciliation package, which may include amendments opposed by some Republican and Democratic senators, according to The Hill.

Thune said he wants to get a funding package done before the FY 2026 budget expires on Sept. 30 to avoid another government shutdown, but the proposed reconciliation bill raised warning flags from some transportation advocates.

“States, transit agencies, and local communities are already suffering from instability caused by the White House’s politically motivated grant cancellations and delays,” Union of Concerned Scientists Clean Transportation Program Director Steven Higashide said Tuesday in an emailed statement. “The cuts codified in this bill would further reduce their ability to plan and build long-term.”

Others favored the short-term funding package for surface transportation. The American Traffic Safety Services Association said the extension is “a necessary measure” to keep critical roadway safety programs going.

“But an extension is a bridge, not a destination,” ATSSA President and CEO Stacy Tetschner said Monday in an emailed statement. “We hope the Senate and the House can use this window to finish the job and pass a robust, long-term reauthorization that sustains and builds on the nation's investment in roadway safety."

If the bill passes the Senate, the House would take it up when it returns Aug. 31.