White House Releases "Skinny Budget" for FY2026

by Sean Jeans-Gail | Vice President of Gov't Affairs + Policy

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The White House released it’s “skinny budget” proposal today, officially kicking of the Fiscal Year 2026 budget process. Transportation saw a $1.5 billion boost over FY2025 levels in the budget outline. The Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) Program, which funds both freight and passenger infrastructure upgrades, was targeted for a $400 million increase.

Amtrak wasn’t mentioned by name in the slimmed-down budget request, but the top line funding levels suggest it may see its funding extended at levels roughly equivalent to what it received this year. The railroad has so far avoided the proposals for dramatic cuts the White House has outlined for similar quasi-governmental organizations like the Public Broadcasting Service and National Public Radio.

It will be up to Congress to actually draft a budget bill, and the House of Representatives is scheduled to hold a series of hearings next week. But given unified Republican control of the White House, the House, and the Senate, this "skinny budget" may be useful for mapping out Congressional goals for FY2026.

House Transportation Committee Passes Reconciliation Proposal

The President’s budget request may be the second bullet dodged by passenger rail this week, which appeared to avoid taking any major hits in the transportation budget reconciliation proposal approved by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday.

The reconciliation bill—part of a parliamentary maneuver that will allow Republicans to extend tax cuts they passed in 2017 during the first Trump Administration with a simple majority in the Senate—largely ignored passenger rail. Instead, it focused funding on highways, Air Traffic Control Modernization, and the U.S. Coast Guard.

However, that means passenger rail was also left out of the $4 billion in rescissions, which will attempt to claw back funds approved by Congress for Federal Highway Administration programs like Neighborhood Access and Equity Grants and Low-Carbon Transportation Materials Grants.

During the markup, there were a significant number of pro-passenger rail amendments offered by Democratic members of the Committee. While the amendments all failed on party-line votes, they provided a way for Democrats to express their frustrations at the general freeze on the distribution of rail grants initiated by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. A few also outlined priorities for passenger rail, which may find their way into the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization.

We’re including a selection of the passenger-friendly amendments filed during the markup:

Ranking Member Dina Titus – Amendment 8: provides $4.7 billion in annual funding for Amtrak operations between fiscal years 2025-2034, and $4.7 billion in annual funding for competitive rail grants between fiscal years 2025-2034.

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) – Amendment 17: provides $10 billion for transit passenger and operator safety and security grants.

Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI) – Amendment 23: prohibits the Secretary of Transportation from removing any project from the Corridor Identification Program that was selected prior to January 2025.

Rep. Emilia Sykes – Amendment 24: provides $100 million to expand Amtrak service in the Akron-Canton region.

Rep. Nellie Pou (D-NJ) – Amendment 28: prohibits the Secretary of Transportation from rescinding any grants awarded to Amtrak’s Gateway Program.

Rep. Chris DeLuzio (D-PA) - Amendment 43: grants Amtrak a private right of action to enforce right to preferential dispatching with host railroads.

Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) – Amendment 46: places limitations on the ability of the Secretary of Transportation to reduce or cancel rail grants.

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) – Amendment 49: prohibits the Secretary of Transportation from rescinding any grants awarded to Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor.

Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN) - Amendment 50: prohibits the Secretary of Transportation from rescinding any grants awarded to Amtrak’s National Network.

Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) – Amendment 55: prohibits the Secretary of Transportation from rescinding any Federal State Partnership (FSP) passenger rail grants awarded to the state of North Carolina.