The House Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee approved President Bush’s request for transportation spending, including significant increases for truck safety.

The $59 billion budget boosts overall Department of Transportation spending by 2% over last fiscal year. It still must clear the Appropriations Committee, as well as the House itself.
Preserved in the budget is a 28% increase for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which regulates truck and bus safety. That increase comes on top of a 60% increase last year, reflecting the expense of creating the new agency but also reflecting congressional commitment to highway safety.
One FMCSA increase of $88.2 million goes to preparing a system to manage safety of Mexican trucks that are now scheduled to start crossing the U.S. border starting early next year. Another $206 million goes for motor carrier safety grants.