President Barack Obama on Nov. 18 signed into law a spending package that Congress passed on Nov. 17, which includes Fiscal Year 2012 appropriations for the U.S. Department of Transportation, according to the Association of American Traffic Safety and Highway Officials (AASHTO).
The bill, adopted 70-30 by the Senate and 298-121 by the House of Representatives, reduces the highway obligation limit by nearly $2 billion – a 4.8-percent reduction from last year’s level — and adds substantial additional funding for emergency relief, AASHTO reports in its AASHTO Journal.
The conference report lowers the highway obligation limitation from $41.107 billion to $39.144 billion, a reduction of $1.963 billion, according to the AASHTO report. The enacted version adds $1.662 billion in appropriations for emergency relief highway funding.
