Building Stronger, Traveling Safer: FY26 DOT Priorities in Focus
Washington, D.C. – Today, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee Chairman Steve Womack (R-AR) and Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) emphasized the importance of transportation safety, aviation modernization, and infrastructure development during opening remarks at a budget hearing with the Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy.
Subcommittee Chairman Womack said, “The Department of Transportation is requesting $26.7 billion in discretionary budget authority for Fiscal Year 2026. This request includes a $1.2 billion increase for air traffic modernization and operations, $596 million to ramp up our port and shipyard infrastructure, a $400 million boost for freight rail safety, and $770 million for multimodal freight expansion… Safety will remain a top priority for this subcommittee as we prepare our 2026 bill. I know you share this goal, as your second night on the job was the horrific DCA collision. You’ve taken swift action to ensure the safety of our airspace, and I know the NTSB appreciates your partnership as they continue their investigation into that accident and many others.”
Full remarks as prepared for delivery are available here.
Chairman Cole said, “As we advance the Fiscal Year 2026 process, effective investments in our nation’s transportation systems are a priority. Secretary Duffy’s team at DOT has already made great efforts to ensure we are directing taxpayer dollars to infrastructure and safety improvements that are worthwhile, taking a fine-toothed comb to thousands of funding decisions made by the previous administration. This subcommittee will further these efforts as we look to the FY26 bill, making sure we support programs that improve infrastructure while taking a hard look at those programs that are wasteful and duplicative. But make no mistake, this fiscal discipline will not come at the price of safety, and we will continue to ensure safety is an utmost priority in the FY26 THUD bill.”
Full remarks as prepared for delivery are available here.
Secretary Duffy said, “The Department of Transportation is one of the few non-defense federal agencies to receive an increase in funding under the President’s Budget for the Fiscal Year 2026. The reason is simple: the president wants to build. Our budget carefully focuses taxpayer resources on items critical to our most fundamental mission of safety and investing in transportation infrastructure… We do not take additional funds from hard-working taxpayers for granted in an era where government has become too big, too inefficient, and too wasteful. We have carefully planned for these dollars to fund urgent projects that, once built, will serve future generations for decades.”
Full remarks as prepared for delivery are available here.
Proceedings will further examine FY26 objectives, with a strong focus on revitalizing America’s infrastructure and transportation systems. Ensuring the safety and security of the public — particularly within our aviation systems — remains paramount. Key efforts include hiring new air traffic controllers, modernizing outdated facilities, and deploying advanced radar technologies. Underscoring the urgency of these focus areas was the attendance of Tim and Sheri Lilley, parents of Flight 5342 first officer Sam Lilley, who lost his life in the mid-air collision at DCA. Since the tragedy, they’ve acted as advocates for change to make our skies safer for all — an imperative shared by the House Appropriations Committee.
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