Elections have consequences

Election Days - August primary, August 11. Congressional election, November 3.

From the American Public Transportation Association:

DOT Proposes to Eliminate All Guaranteed Funding for Public Transit and Passenger Rail

"On July 22, Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy sent a letter to Senate Committee leaders outlining the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) proposals for the Surface Transportation Authorization Act or related Surface Transportation Authorization Extension Act.

"APTA strongly opposes DOT’s proposals to eliminate all guaranteed funding for public transit and passenger rail by eliminating the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund and advance appropriations. These proposals jeopardize more than 85 percent of Federal public transit and passenger rail investment across the nation, including all public transit formula grants. On July 23, APTA issued a statement urging Congress to reject these funding proposals and build upon current public transit and passenger rail investment in the next Surface Transportation Authorization Act.  

"We strongly encourage APTA members to make their voices heard on these and other critical issues. We urge all APTA members to invite your Members of Congress to Site Visits during the August recess to allow lawmakers to see firsthand the impact of Federal public transportation investments and connect policy decisions to their local constituents. To assist with your planning, please use APTA’s Guidance for Planning Site Visits and Events with your Members of Congress."

Read more here: https://www.apta.com/advocacy-material/u-s-department-of-transportation-submits-surface-transportation-authorization-proposals/

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From Transportation for AmericaTransportation for America: "If there was any lingering confusion about the Trump administration’s willingness to faithfully and fully implement any current or future bipartisan deal on transportation reauthorization that Congress might consider, USDOT Secretary Duffy’s unhinged letter to Senate leadership about the administration’s reauthorization priorities should put a nail in that coffin. 

"Congress should extend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) for a year to keep the transportation funding moving, and then they should not even consider coming to the negotiating table on a long-term bill until past grants that are rescinded are restored, frozen transit capital projects are restarted, and ironclad protections are put in place to ensure that USDOT faithfully implements whatever Congress assembles—whether it aligns with the administration’s priorities or not."

Read more here: https://t4america.org/2026/07/27/usdot-letter-shows-it-will-likely-undermine-any-bipartisan-reauthorization-deal

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From Urban Wire: "Adjusted for inflation, the BUILD Act would authorize lower overall transportation funding than the current federal transportation legislation, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which expires on September 30, 2026. Transit and rail programs face some of the deepest cuts under the BUILD Act, which prioritizes funding instead for road and highway infrastructure."

Read article: https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/how-will-congresss-proposed-cuts-transit-funding-affect-your-state-and-congressional