Are Transportation "Trust Funds" Really Held In Trust?

Obama Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is backing off the administration's position that all federal highway and airport spending be adjusted annually in the president's budget legislation, rather than being committed long term. Senate Banking Chairman Christopher Dodd is attempting to broker some compromise between LaHood and congressional appropriators to preserve the dedication of fuel taxes to transportation purposes, rather than opening up this cash hoard to being used for advancing other types of investment which would possibly defeat long term transportation planning in the 50 states, and open the funds to being raided for other priorities of the administration. Count on construction industry lobbyists to back every move by Dodd to protect the trust funds from raids by other interests seeking a way to finance their pet expenditures without increasing taxes on everyone.

Transportation Funding Battle Looms

President Obama's budget proposals include a run at taking year to year control over the amount of money set aside in the federal budget for infrastructure construction, in the form of eliminating the multi-year budget authority of Congress over the highway and aviation trust funds comprised of fuel tax revenues and traditionally set aside for road and airport construction use.

Obama's budget would dump this revenue back into the general funds and return annual budget and appropriations proposing authority of this cash to the White House. Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle oppose these changes, especially since increasing energy conservation is expected to deplete these trust funds in the near future, requiring even greater effort to keep our infrastructure modern and well maintained.