Just days before the FAST Act became law, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) offered its review of the new five-year, $305 billion highway bill’s “budgetary impact” and how it would affect the Highway Trust Fund (HTF).
The CBO found spending from the HTF under the Fast Act would reach $280 billion from 2016 through 2020, with revenue and interest reaching $208 billion and $70 billion would be transferred from the general fund of the U.S. Treasury.
By the end of fiscal 2020, the CBO says the HTF highway account would have a balance of $8 billion, with the transit account reaching $2 billion
Here’s a breakdown of the cash flows for the highway account for fiscal years 2016-2020:
2016
Beginning balance: $9 billion
Revenue and interest: $36 billion
Intragovernmental transfers: $52 billion
Outlays: $45 billion
Year-end balance: $51 billion
2017
Beginning balance: $51 billion
Revenue and interest: $36 billion
Intragovernmental transfers: less than $500 million
Outlays: $46 billion
Year-end balance: $42 billion
2018
Beginning balance: $42 billion
Revenue and interest: $37 billion
Intragovernmental transfers: less than $500 million
Outlays: $47 billion
Year-end balance: $31 billion
2019
Beginning balance: $31 billion
Revenue and interest: $37 billion
Intragovernmental transfers: 0
Outlays: $48 billion
Year-end balance: $20 billion
2020
Beginning balance: $20 billion
Revenue and interest: $36 billion
Intragovernmental transfers: 0
Outlays: $49 billion
Year-end balance: $8 billion
For comparison, here are the actual figures for 2015
Beginning balance: $11 billion
Revenue and interest: $36 billion
Intragovernmental transfers: $6 billion
Outlays: $44 billion
Year-end balance: $9 billion