Washington, D.C. -- Today, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, issued the following statement following the release of the Trump Administration’s “Skinny Budget”:
“Over the last few years, President Trump repeatedly promised the American people that he wanted to rebuild and replace our aging network of crumbling roads, bridges, airports, transit systems, railways, ports, and water systems. The President’s budget, released today, guts many of those very investments—the exact opposite of what he promised.
“He promised to rebuild our ‘third world airports’, but his budget would eliminate air service to 173 rural communities and sever critical access to the aviation system. He promised to triple funding for clean water infrastructure, but his budget cuts clean water investments. He promised to invest a trillion dollars in our infrastructure, but his budget eliminates all funding for long-distance trains, TIGER grants, and new transit projects that create jobs and spur economic growth in our communities.
“The budget supports a plan to privatize our nation’s air traffic control (ATC) system—a plan that failed to pass Congress last year. For the last two years, opponents of this short-sighted plan have raised serious concerns about whether ATC privatization would guarantee safety, protect national security, expedite new technology, and keep our aviation system solvent. Proponents have failed to answer any of the serious questions we have raised. Air traffic control privatization will not benefit the flying public and it definitely will not benefit taxpayers who will be on the hook for bailing out the private ATC corporation if it fails.
“Bottom line: this so-called ‘skinny’ budget exposes the big fat lies President Trump has told the American people when it comes to rebuilding our transportation infrastructure. I would pronounce it dead on arrival, but my Republican colleagues have beat me to the punch.”
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