Donald Trump’s failure to repeal and replace Obamacare last week represented the first major defeat for his fledgling administration. But obviously there are still many future battles to be fought.
First, let’s survey the potential damage. Trump’s budget calls for eliminating the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investments Program, which includes Core Capacity grants to accommodate more ridership on “legacy” transit systems and the so-called New Starts funding for newer transit lines.
So Trump’s plan to slay the TIGER program would impact a wide range of future local rail and bridge projects. It would also take away a major funding source for Amtrak’s long-distance routes, many of which, like the Capitol Limited, City of New Orleans, and Empire Builder, are based in Chicago.
“Eliminating funding for transit projects, as the president’s budget proposes, would cut jobs, decrease service, make commutes longer and create significant challenges for both transit agencies across the country and residents that rely on transit to get to work or school every day,” CTA spokesman Jeff Tolman writes in an e-mail.
“Fortunately, an overwhelming number of members of Congress from both sides of the aisle in both the House and Senate have called the president’s budget ‘Dead on Arrival,'” Quigley said in a statement. “People across the country, regardless of party affiliation, benefit massively from federal spending on transportation and infrastructure.”
If the pressure is sustained, the thinking goes, the Donald’s shameless attack on urban transportation could down in flames—just like Trumpcare did. v
