President Barack Obama signed the long-awaited $410 billion Fiscal Year 2009 omnibus appropriations bill on March 11, one day after the Senate passed the legislation. The omnibus provides funding to 12 Cabinet departments including U.S. DOT.

The legislation—which was passed by voice vote after the majority Democrats invoked a procedure to prevent a filibuster—contained no changes from the House version of the bill. It provides $71.5 billion for U.S. DOT, including $10.2 billion for public transportation: $740 million more than the FY 2008 budget, a 7.8 percent increase and an all-time high for transit.

All departments of the executive branch other than Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Homeland Security had been operating under continuing resolutions.

 

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