The sequester also trimmed a recently enacted $50.5-billion emergency spending bill provided to New Jersey, New York and other states hammered by Superstorm Sandy last October. For example, that measure's $10.9 billion for transit was sliced by $545 million.
The next fiscal deadline is March 27, when a government-wide stopgap spending measure expires. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Harold Rogers (R-Ky.) introduced a continuing resolution (CR) on March 4 that would run through Sept. 30, the end of fiscal year 2013. It would keep the sequester's cuts in place through that date.
Rogers' bill does provides a $2-billion boost for embassy security and a $125-million hike for VA minor construction. However, transportation groups are unhappy that it omits $600 million that last year's Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act provided for federal-aid highways. Senate appropriators had not yet released their version of the upcoming CR at ENR press time.
| Program | Amount ($ millions) |
|---|---|
| Defense (7.8% reductions) | |
| Army construction | 408 |
| Air Force construction | 151 |
| Navy and Marine Corps construction | 297 |
| Other military construction (DOD-wide) | 454 |
| DOD base closure (1990 and 2005 rounds) | 72 |
| DOE defense environmental cleanup | 394 |
| Non-defense (generally 5.0% reductions) | |
| Corps of Engineers construction | 250 |
| Corps operation and maintenance | 122 |
| Corps flood control/coastal emergencies | 52 |
| EPA water infrastructure (state and tribal grants) | 210 |
| EPA Superfund | 74 |
| FTA emergency relief (post-disaster repairs) | 545 |
| FTA capital investment grants (new starts) | 96 |
| Highway Trust Fund (transfer from general fund) | 316 |
| FHWA emergency relief | 101 |
| State Dept. embassy security, construction, maintenance | 79 |
| Exempt From Sequester | |
| Federal-aid highways (trust-fund portion) | 39,144 |
| Transit formula grants | 8,361 |
| FAA airport grants | 3,515 |
| VA major construction projects | 590 |
| VA minor construction projects | 482 |
| Source: Office of Management and Budget |
