Airport Alert: Administration Releases Outline for its FY22 Discretionary Funding Request
April 9, 2021
The White House today unveiled the outline for its budget request for discretionary spending in Fiscal Year 2022. The document, which was prepared by the Office of Management and Budget, is light on details and reiterates the President's plan to rebuild the economy and fix our nation's infrastructure.
Department of Transportation
The administration is seeking $25.6 billion in discretionary funds for DOT in FY22 – a $317 million increase from the current funding level. The high-level document indicates that the administration is prioritizing air traffic safety and efficiency, in part, by investing in air traffic control modernization. It also highlights the integration of unmanned aircraft systems and commercial space activity into the National Airspace System.
Despite the overall recommended increase for DOT, however, the White House is proposing to zero out $2.9 billion for general fund transfers that were used in FY21 to "plus-up" the Airport Improvement Program by $400 million along with $2.5 billion for highways and transit. This is more of an inside-baseball budget move than a lack of support for those programs since the administration anticipates major increases in those areas as part of its $2.3 trillion American Jobs Plan.
As we have previously reported, the administration is requesting an additional $20 billion for airports as part of the American Jobs Plan. The document that OMB released today re-emphasizes that the President is "committed to making a once-in-a-lifetime, generational investment to significantly improve America's transportation infrastructure…."
Department of Homeland Security
The President's discretionary budget request proposes a total of $52 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, which is roughly the same amount as provided in FY21. The document provides scant details and does not include any agency specific funding levels for either the Transportation Security Administration or U.S. Customs and Border Protection. As such, we cannot tell whether or not the administration will request funding for TSA law enforcement officer reimbursement grants or TSA staffing of exit lanes in FY22.
For DHS, the budget proposal focuses on border security improvements through the use of advanced technology; promotes a humane and efficient immigration system; supports Federal, State, local, non-profit and private entities' efforts to detect, deter, and recover from malicious cyberattacks; seeks to address the root causes of domestic terrorism through additional grant programs; combats climate change; and revitalizes our nation's research, development and innovation capacity by investing in projects that will include transportation security technologies.
Environmental Protection Agency
The budget document highlights the administration's plans to address pollution caused by Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances. Its discretionary request includes approximately $75 million "to accelerate toxicity studies and research to inform the regulatory development of designating PFAS as hazardous substances and setting enforceable limits for PFAS under the Safe Drinking Water Act." The document points out that the proposed funding would also go towards "grants for technical assistance as State and local governments deal with PFAS contamination."
Request
As a reminder, we need your help to convince lawmakers to fund our priorities in the FY22 appropriations process. Please reach out to your representative and your two senators and ask them to support airport priorities in the FY22 DOT and DHS appropriations bills. A draft letter that you can send to your House and Senate lawmakers may be viewed here. (Please fill in your specific airport information.) Contact information for your House member and Senators is available via these links.
The White House today unveiled the outline for its budget request for discretionary spending in Fiscal Year 2022. The document, which was prepared by the Office of Management and Budget, is light on details and reiterates the President's plan to rebuild the economy and fix our nation's infrastructure.
Department of Transportation
The administration is seeking $25.6 billion in discretionary funds for DOT in FY22 – a $317 million increase from the current funding level. The high-level document indicates that the administration is prioritizing air traffic safety and efficiency, in part, by investing in air traffic control modernization. It also highlights the integration of unmanned aircraft systems and commercial space activity into the National Airspace System.
Despite the overall recommended increase for DOT, however, the White House is proposing to zero out $2.9 billion for general fund transfers that were used in FY21 to "plus-up" the Airport Improvement Program by $400 million along with $2.5 billion for highways and transit. This is more of an inside-baseball budget move than a lack of support for those programs since the administration anticipates major increases in those areas as part of its $2.3 trillion American Jobs Plan.
As we have previously reported, the administration is requesting an additional $20 billion for airports as part of the American Jobs Plan. The document that OMB released today re-emphasizes that the President is "committed to making a once-in-a-lifetime, generational investment to significantly improve America's transportation infrastructure…."
Department of Homeland Security
The President's discretionary budget request proposes a total of $52 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, which is roughly the same amount as provided in FY21. The document provides scant details and does not include any agency specific funding levels for either the Transportation Security Administration or U.S. Customs and Border Protection. As such, we cannot tell whether or not the administration will request funding for TSA law enforcement officer reimbursement grants or TSA staffing of exit lanes in FY22.
For DHS, the budget proposal focuses on border security improvements through the use of advanced technology; promotes a humane and efficient immigration system; supports Federal, State, local, non-profit and private entities' efforts to detect, deter, and recover from malicious cyberattacks; seeks to address the root causes of domestic terrorism through additional grant programs; combats climate change; and revitalizes our nation's research, development and innovation capacity by investing in projects that will include transportation security technologies.
Environmental Protection Agency
The budget document highlights the administration's plans to address pollution caused by Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances. Its discretionary request includes approximately $75 million "to accelerate toxicity studies and research to inform the regulatory development of designating PFAS as hazardous substances and setting enforceable limits for PFAS under the Safe Drinking Water Act." The document points out that the proposed funding would also go towards "grants for technical assistance as State and local governments deal with PFAS contamination."
Request
As a reminder, we need your help to convince lawmakers to fund our priorities in the FY22 appropriations process. Please reach out to your representative and your two senators and ask them to support airport priorities in the FY22 DOT and DHS appropriations bills. A draft letter that you can send to your House and Senate lawmakers may be viewed here. (Please fill in your specific airport information.) Contact information for your House member and Senators is available via these links.
