Following President Bush's nationally televised speech this week before a Joint Session of Congress, the White House's Office of Management and Budget formally unveiled its budget proposal for fiscal year 2002. Although many details still have not been disclosed, several aspects of the plan could have significant impacts on transportation.
Under the proposal's plan for highway funding, the President calls for a highway "guarantee" level of $32.3 billion, or $2.1 billion above the 2001 enacted level to support state and local highway and bridge improvements. This level is provided for to meet objectives under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century.
In terms of transportation user fees the budget states, "To ensure that users pay for specialized services or government support, the budget assumes that $75 million will be raised from new user fees to offset the costs associated with the regulation of the transportation of hazardous materials, expanded federal inspection of the nation's over two million miles of pipeline, and support for the railroad safety inspection program."
Outside of DOT within US Customs operations, the plan calls for increased spending for a number of services including efforts to replace the automated import processing system.
The President's proposal now goes before Congress which will begin the process of debating how the budget will finally be resolved.