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President Signs CR-Omnibus Bill
On Dec. 16, President Obama signed the combined Omnibus Appropriations and Continuing Resolution that will fund the federal government through the end of Fiscal Year 2015 (FY 2015). The measure passed the Senate Dec. 13 by a 56-40 vote.
Though the House approved the legislation before the original deadline of Dec. 11, due to Senate procedural hurdles an additional extension was passed (H.J.Res. 113) to allow time for proper deliberation and passage of the final bill, as well as the president’s signature.
This agreement lays out the funding for 11 of the 12 appropriations accounts for the balance of FY 2015, including funding for DOT. It does not include the Homeland Security budget, which is extended at current levels through Feb. 27.
“Congress’ end of year activity included strong funding for public transportation infrastructure that puts and gets Americans to work,” said APTA President & CEO Michael Melaniphy. “However, Congress failed to act proactively to extend the higher levels of transit commuter benefits. Ultimately, Congress has much to do next year to fund and authorize a long-term surface transportation program. We intend to work with the new Congress to advance this critical national priority.”
Also, H.R. 5771, the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014, was sent to the White House for Obama’s signature after passing the House 378-46 and the Senate 76-16, with a 60-vote threshold having been deemed necessary. The legislation includes a retroactive extension of federal excise tax credits for alternative fuels for 2014, covering such fuels as compressed natural gas or liquefied natural gas.
APTA and other industry partners also advocated for permanent parity between employer-provided public transit and parking pre-tax/tax free benefits or, at the least, the extension of parity for 2015. However, the bill merely provides a retroactive extension of parity for 2014 and, given the nature of how the benefit is administered, commuters or employers are not likely to realize reduced commuting costs or tax liability for 2014.
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