That'll Do, Amtrak Joe: Mass Transit Gets Some More Stimulus Love
The House's original stimulus bill, as we've reported for several weeks, gave mass transit the short end of the stick in favor of $30 billion for highways with no requirement that repairs be prioritized over new road-building.
But according to a confidential summary of the final stimulus deal that we've just been passed (view it here), mass transit got some more attention in the end. Amtrak and high-speed rail programs got $9.3 billion, an increase of about $6 billion from the Senate's version of the stimulus.
Still, environmentally sustainable transportation didn't completely win the day. A $5.5 billion transit-modernizing grant program eagerly anticipated by environmental advocates, which senators at first wanted to open up to highways, was removed entirely from the final stimulus deal.
Congress did agree on $8.4 billion for general public transportation grants, however. Vice President Biden (D-Amtrak), if you had any role in this: thanks.
Late Update: N.B. Until legislative language is formally filed on the bill today, there's always the possibility that these numbers could change. What we're bringing you are the freshest details.
Late Late Update: The sun has set in Washington, but the town is still on pins and needles over the actual text of the stimulus deal. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) has issued a statement promising that the language "will be filed this evening, giving members enough time to review the [stimulus] conference report before voting on it tomorrow afternoon."
That means most rank-and-file lawmakers in both parties will have about 12 hours -- including slumber time -- to digest the bill, which is likely to run past the 300-page mark, before debate begins at 9am tomorrow.
We'll let you know first thing about the fate of executive pay limits and other remaining unknowns in the final stimulus, which is likely to be signed into law by President Obama before Monday. In the meantime, check out the details of the tax and health care provisions that made it in.


















Awesome! :D
February 12, 2009 12:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Elana, thanks for the keeping the pressure on, on this. Great work, "awesome" result.
February 12, 2009 12:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
The link to the confidential coipy of the stimulus package takes me to a page that says access denied. Anybody else having any luck?
February 12, 2009 12:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well y'all must not be on Kerry's email list cause his office emailed me yesterday to tell me that he'd gotten several billion for rail included.
February 12, 2009 12:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Back from the grave, are ya?
Nice to see you posting, stranger!
February 12, 2009 12:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's pretty cool--I just checked his website and he hasn't mentioned it yet. Still, it's nice to see that mass transit was propped up a bit in the stimulus.
February 12, 2009 1:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
I finally got it, but the numbers are a bit confusing. For example, the NYT and other media outlets are reporting that the Fiscal Stabilization piece for states in the agreement was $44 billion. This copy says that Fund is $53.6 billion, which makes me wonder about the rest of the numbers.
February 12, 2009 12:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
They added $10b to state stabilization that "can" be used for school modernization - in lieu of the House version's $16b specifically for school construction. Collins et al just couldn't stand the notion of federal involvement in rebuilding schools (and creating thousands of construction jobs). So, they reduced the total amt of state aid and shoved school modernization into the same bucket. We are facing crippling shortfalls in this and next year's school budget- there's no way we will direct any of the stabilization $ to capital projects when we are facing massive layoffs and/or a shorter school year. This "compromise" sucks.
That said, overall it's a decent package, a huge step forward, and a big, big victory for Obama.
February 12, 2009 1:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
You make a key point here that gets lost: it's a big, big victory indeed.
February 12, 2009 1:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
You make a key point here that gets lost: it's a big, big victory indeed.
February 12, 2009 1:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for the info. And I agree that it's a big win for Obama and it has given the country another reminder of how out of touch the Limbaugh Party is with reality.
February 12, 2009 1:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree in general, but don't forget that this is just an emergency bill, we still have the regular appropriations bills (omnibus, transportation, etc.) which we can fight to get some of those capital projects back in.
February 12, 2009 4:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
The footer on the pdf says this doc is from 2/12/09, 8:38 am, which would have been before the heavy negotiations yesterday. Is this really a final version?
February 12, 2009 1:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Der. Never mind. Today is the 12th. Sheesh.
February 12, 2009 1:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Any idea where the new high speed rail money is going to be used?
February 12, 2009 2:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Vegas to L.A.
February 12, 2009 9:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
And my piece of pork is the clean coal provision on pg 75, line 8 of the Senate bill.
Remember the great article that TPM had about the Mattoon, IL plant? I refer to that.
February 12, 2009 2:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow. Sounds like a tri-cameral legislature; House, Senate and Conference!
In several areas they went over and above what either chamber funded. Or one chamber funded nothing and they went way over what the other chamber wanted.
February 12, 2009 3:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am wondering (and hoping) that these can be toe-holds which can be more fully funded and expanded through the regular appropriations process.
February 12, 2009 3:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's what we are banking on bro. Plus the budget will be a big fight.
February 12, 2009 9:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is there a similar summary for the tax provisions? The total on that summary is just under $311 billion. I assume the rest is in one or more other summaries?
February 12, 2009 5:02 PM | Reply | Permalink