OKC FAA center, roads and tribes big winners in appropriations bill

WASHINGTON – Despite heated comments and opposition from minority Democrats, the House Appropriations committee has adopted its Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Bill for the 2024 fiscal year.

Subcommittee chairman Tom Cole (R, Moore) said Oklahoma will be in line for a significant amount of funding under the legislation.

“There’s a lot of individual transportation initiatives, funding for highways, airports and the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) Center in Oklahoma City,” said Cole. “Then there’s just the base funding for transportation and housing.”

The legislation provides more than $60 billion in upgrades for existing highways and bridges along with funds for indigenous tribes.

“Oklahoma will also benefit from tribal provisions,” said Cole. “There’s actually record levels of appropriations because those areas have been historically underfunded for tribal roads and tribal housing.”

Cole said the FAA’s air traffic control academy in Oklahoma City will be receiving a significant increase in funding due to the need to train new controllers due to a wave of retirements.

“This bill prioritizes resources to the FAA to modernize the air traffic control system and train 1,800 new controllers and update and modernize facilities and equipment and fulfill Community Project Funding for airport improvement projects across the country,” he said. “These measures will undoubtedly bring long-term certainty to the many facets of our nation’s aviation system.

Cole added, “Oklahoma probably disproportionately benefits because of the travel assets we have, particularly the FAA Center, they were really well funded.”

While the FAA Center in Oklahoma City will get more funding from this bill, AMTRAK stands to lose 64% of its budget.

The bill now advances to the Republican-majority House of Representatives but will likely run into a roadblock in the Democrat-majority Senate.

The proposed legislation preserves the earmarks that were reinstituted two years ago by Democrats, some Democratic members of the appropriations committee were visibly upset with the elimination of earmarks for three programs that provide services to the LGBTQ community in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

“Is there no limit to how low you will go to break the faith and trust which this committee is supposed to operate,” said Rep.Rosa Delauro, (D, Connecticut) in the markup. “ All to placate the whims of some who I might add do not ever vote for appropriations bills. You are negotiating with terrorists… I simply offer that you’ve crossed the red line today, and I beg you to reconsider what you are doing.”

The bill and its amendments, one which bans the flying of the gay pride flags over government buildings, passed along party lines 32-26 likely won’t pass the Senate.

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