Hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2026 for the Department of Transportation.
Senate Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
2025-05-15
Source: Congress.gov
Participants
Transcript
I think that's you, Senator. The Secretary of Transportation, Mr. Sean Duffy, who will testify on the President's physical budget of 2026, request for the department. And I'm delighted to be joined by our new ranking member, Senator Gillibrand. And starting off this morning, I want to recognize the Lilly family. I just found out that you were here and we're so honored that you were here and grateful to have you with us today. I look forward to crafting our fiscal year of 2026 bill with the same collaborative spirit that former Chairman Schatz and I shared in recent years, and the programs and projects that all of our bills support have a direct impact on the lives of all Americans every day. We're thrilled to have our chairman here with us today, Susan Collins. of the overall committee, and we will get started. While the priorities in Mississippi may differ from those in New York State, we can all agree on the underlying mission of enduring a safe and reliable transportation system. Last year, our subcommittee produced an appropriation bill that had strong bipartisan support and was passed nearly unanimously, coming out of committee. That was a lot of hard work to get there. But as a result, We, our former majority leader, chose not to bring any of the 12 appropriation bills to the floor last year, and we were forced into continuing resolution which seriously undermines Congress's ability to fulfill its most fundamental duties. I know that Chairman Collins and vice chair murray are once again committed to making sure that all of the fiscal year 2026 appropriation bills are marked up in committee and considered in the full senate secretary duffy thank you for being here today to testify on the budget request from the department of transportation i have enjoyed our recent conversations and appreciate our mutual admiration of rural america we
While we recently received the skinny budget, as we call it, we look forward to a more detailed breakdown of a proposed budget funding. Our bill simply cannot be written without it. I look forward to hearing more about DOT priorities. Our subcommittee is very interested in better understanding the magnitude of staffing reductions throughout the department in order to ensure that the Transportation Department has the workforce necessary to carry out its mission. We all know that just days into your tenure as Secretary, you were faced with a tragedy that underscores the critical role of USDOT plays in transportation safety. We continue to mourn those who were lost during the horrifying incident over the Potomac and we recognize that the status quo is not sustainable. We must take bold action to prevent future aviation disasters. As I mentioned to you in our call together last week, I'm truly thankful to have you at the helm of the department during this critical period for aviation safety and transportation writ large. Your sincerity and determination in wanting to solve the problem of modernizing our nation's air traffic system is a welcome change, and I know you inherited a lot. You've got a tall drink of water in front of you. Getting this proposal right is critically important to the traveling public. So we look forward to receiving more details of your recently announced plan. I am very supportive of the additional funding requested for the FAA to hire more air traffic controllers to manage the increased traffic in our national airspace systems and to bring on more critical safety staff to help address the ongoing FAA aircraft certification reform and oversight efforts. While there's a lot to talk about the department's budget request, I was disappointed to see that the administration proposes drastic cuts to the essential air service program.
As we have discussed, the EAS program connects our nation's rural communities to the broader transportation network by facilitating safe air travel for customers traveling to and from smaller markets like in Greenville, Mississippi, Tupelo, and Hattiesburg, Mississippi. I know you understand the importance of this program from your time as a congressman when you had multiple EAS supporter supported airports in your district. Drastically cutting this program will have a severe impact on rural communities and regions that rely on having access to the broader transportation network. Additionally, new businesses rarely locate in areas without dependable commercial air service, so supporting these rural airports is vital for future economic development. I'm very pleased to see the significant investment this administration is proposing in rail safety, nearly doubling the funding for the consolidated rail safety and infrastructure grant program in contrast the last administration proposed slashing funding for this program by more than 50 percent i have also been encouraged by your strong statements of support in our nation's shipbuilding industry and for improving the pipeline of qualified merchant mariners. Our bill encompasses the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York, which you recently visited, as well as six state maritime academies. These institutions are absolutely essential for facilitating commerce and strengthening our national security by educating, training the next generation of American mariners. The administration's support for the maritime industry is further demonstrated by the funding proposed for the Port Infrastructure Development Program, otherwise known as PIDP. The request recommends $550 million in PIDP, a roughly $430 million increase above the current spending level. It's also worth noting that the previous administration sought just $80 million for PIDP,
in its FY25 budget request. In addition, the increased funding requested for the assistance to small shipyards grants totaling 105 million is another strong signal of support for American shipbuilding, which is important to Senator Collins and myself for sure. As we approach the final year of the IIJA funding and our authorization counterparts work toward a surface transportation reauthorization bill, we need to make sure that our appropriations bill strikes a balance to meet the needs of all Americans, especially those in rural communities which face unique transportation and economic development challenges. To conclude, I believe that our funding decision should be guided by fiscal responsibility and with the taxpayers in mind. Secretary Duffy, I look forward to hearing from you and working together for the American people to ensure that we have the safest, most reliable transportation network in the entire world.
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