We stay on capitol hill for live testimony from transportation secretary pete buttigieg, the hearing just about to get underway. In february i had the chance to welcome you, secretary, to hawaii, where we visited lahaina on maui to get an update on recovery after the fires. What is clear then as now is those survivors need help. A whole town was flattened, thousands of people left without homes overnight, and nine months later their lives are still in limbo. I know you know this, mr. Secretary, and i want to appreciate your attendance, your presence on maui, but also your ability to listen to the needs of the survivors. I will make it very simple. The survivors need transitional housing. Other communities are dealing with disasters of their own. Baltimore is recovering from the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott key bridge, and as i reiterated to the maryland congressional delegation this week, we are going to get baltimore whatever it needs to rebuild. This past weekend, a Freight Train derailment forest resident evacuations and highway closure. We are still waiting to find out more about what caused the accident but are thankful nobody was hurt. It is an reminder of how important the investments we make in Transportation Safety are. In response to the derailment, this committee worked on a bipartisan basis to improve rail safety by researching in by investing in research and technology. More needs to be done to hold the industry accountable and the administration is requesting 26 million to do that. The committee is focused on addressing the shortage of air Traffic Controllers to maintain safety and reliability for flyers. The faas request for 2000 new air Traffic Controllers is urgent and necessary. The Committee Also provided significant increases in staffing and certification, which has helped the office of aviation safety to add more than 600 new staff to improve the scrutiny of aircraft manufacturers, including, maybe especially, boeing. An additional 30 million is being requested for 26 positions , enhanced workforce training, data management, and improvement to safety reporting systems. On road safety, i am glad nitsa has mandated automatic emergency brakes, which will save many lives. More needs to be done. 40,000 lives are lost every year because of roadway accidents and a growing share are pedestrian and bike deaths. No one should feel in danger trying to get around in their community. We need real accountability to better understand why the departments investments and regulations are not yet producing safer outcomes. Finally, we have to look at equity for rural and tribal communities. This Budget Proposal two of them in a cost chair for rural and Tribal Transit Programs is a step in the right direction but we need to continue to expand access for these committees. Equity also means looking at who pays for and benefits from our Transportation Networks. I would like to hear how the administrations proposal to increase taxes on certain Business Jets and the extent to which these jets are currently being subsidized by current aviation users. The budget request reflects urgent Transportation Priorities and these investments will benefit millions for generations to come. I will turn it over to my friend and the vice chair, senator highsmith. Sen. Hydesmith i appreciate that introduction and the working relationship we have. I just want to talk a little bit about where we are and how long it took to get the fy 20 24 appropriations package through congress. I will note in the senate, we passed the appropriations bill last november with strong bipartisan support, with the help of senator collins and senator murray. And senator kennedy, no doubt. But without the leadership and vision of vice chairman collins and chairwoman murray, we may well have been saving crs through the end of the fiscal year, which benefits no one and eliminates congresss ability to carry out its most fundamental duties. Thank you for being here to testify on the budget request for the department of transportation, which has such a direct impact on so many people in every state. When you appeared before the subcommittee last year, the department was continuing with serious safety challenges, such as the failure of the faa Mission System and the devastating derailment in ohio. Today the department is grappling with two new emergencies involving boeing and the collapse of baltimores Francis Scott key bridge. I look forward to hearing how the department is confronting these obstacles and prioritizing the safety of the traveling public. As congress contemplates how to address emergency funding needs resulting from the bridge collapsed and other disasters, appropriators must not lose sight of our responsibility to provide adequate annual funding for critical programs. The administrations fy 2025 request for the department of transportation totals 108 point 9 billion, which represents roughly 2. 6 billion increase above the fy 2024 enacted levels. I am disappointed to see even with the proposed increase in overall funding, the request woefully under funds or in some cases eliminates entirely programs that are priorities for this subcommittee. Last year the president s budget request includes 510 million for the popular consolidated Rail Infrastructure and safety improvements Grant Program. This year the funding request has been slashed by more than half to just 250 million. Additionally, the pandemic underscored the importance of a robust, resilient, and reliable american port system, so its difficult to understand why the administrations fy 2025 funding request for the vital Port InfrastructureDevelopment Program is shockingly 66 less then the fy 2024 request, reduced from 230 million to just 80 million. While the Administration May cite the Infrastructure Investment jobs act funding for these programs as a counter to my concerns, we must recognize that the funding provided in that legislation is not perpetual, not finite and not perpetual. Backfilling annual appropriations with the Infrastructure Investment jobs act funding is not sustainable and the administration has not laid out a transition plan for funding critical programs in a post Infrastructure Investment job environment. The Infrastructure Investment jobs act offramp strategy is necessary to formulate funding that strikes a balance to meet the needs of all americans, especially those in Rural Communities, which face unique transportation challenges. Without such a strategy, under resourced rural areas like those across mississippi would be put at risk. This subcommittee is commitment to addressing rule needs is epitomized by the two hunted 50 million rural Bridge Bundling Program that was established in the fy 2024 built directing resources to sparsely Populated Areas for muchneeded bridge repair and rehabilitation. Rural communities often benefit from the raise Grant Program so i wanted to flag some of my concerns with how the administration is proposing to fund and administer these grants. I appreciate the Administration Seeks to provide 800 Million Dollars for the national Infrastructure Investments, which encompasses raise and mega grants, but i am troubled by the plan to combine these two distinct programs without clearly explaining how much funding will be allocated under each. I am also concerned about the proposal to use the fifa funds to cover the 800 million cost of it i was pleased to see the budget request includes additional funding for the faa to hire more air Traffic Controllers to manage the increased traffic in our National Airspace system and bring on more critical safety staff to help address the faas ongoing aircraft certification reform and oversight efforts. I also support the administrations intentions to continue fully funding the essential air Service Program. The essential air Service Program connects Rural Communities to broader Transportation Network and benefits more modest airports, like those found in greenville, tupelo, by ensuring safe travel for customers traveling to and from smaller markets. Businesses rarely locate in areas without dependable air services, so supporting rural airports is vital for future economic development. I believe our funding decision should be informed by fiscal responsibility and made with the american taxpayer in mind. Mr. Secretary, i look forward to hearing from you and working together to ensure we have the safest, most reliable Transportation Network in the entire world. Chair schatz mr. Secretary, please proceed with your testimony. Sec. Buttigieg there we go. Chair schatz, Ranking Member highsmith, vice chair collins, and members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to discuss President Bidens fiscal year 2025 budget request for the department of transportation. Thank you for your partnership as we have delivered safer, stronger transportation across the country. Roadway fatalities trending downwards, shipping costs down, supply change running more smoothly, and airplane cancellations last year were the lowest in a decade. Although we have more to do, we are rebuilding not just from the pandemic but from decades of disinvestment and an environment that privileged corporations instead of protecting people. The budget request of 140 6. 2 billion builds on the progress we have made and enables us to deliver on the challenges and opportunities that remain. Our primary mission across every mode of transportation, safety. Our roads, we have funded projects in every state to promote safety. We have had seven consecutive quarters of declining deaths on roadways. But this is still a National Crisis taking over 40,000 lives every year and we are requesting 72 billion to improve roads and bridges with an emphasis on safety and efficiency. We are constantly reminded of the importance of Transportation Safety. The country watched as a cargo ship destroyed the Francis Scott key bridge, taking six lives and closing a port. We are working with state, local, and private partners to reopen the port as quickly as possible. We also got to work with the state on rebuilding the bridge. Aviation, america was alarmed when a door blew out on an Alaska Airlines flight. The faa swiftly grounded 737 max 9 aircraft until each plane was safe to return to the air. The faa is increasing oversight of boeing. The agency is investing in the infrastructure, staffing, and technology of airports. We are requesting 26. 8 billion to the faa, which will accelerate the modernization of the system, increase the target to hire 2000 air Traffic Controllers, and continue improving airports. We are modernizing infrastructure and improving service. This will allow us to increase the number of safety inspectors to 400 and add new staff. We established what most americans assumed was already the case, a minimum of two crewmembers on large Freight Trains. We are taking every step that does not require congress but also continuing to call on congress to pass the Bipartisan Railway Safety act, which would provide authority to keep passengers, workers, and communities safe. We are preparing what existed and organizing for the future. Last week i was in las vegas for the groundbreaking of a new rail line to california, the first true highspeed rail in the United States. It was a great day for the millions who will ride this train every year, for Truck Drivers and supply chains who will benefit, for everyone who will live in a climate with 800 million fewer pounds of Carbon Pollution annually. More than those benefits, its a celebration that america can still build massive engineering marvels with the potential for more. This project is creating 1000 Good Union Jobs for the men and women who will operate the train line, plus another 10,000 good Union Construction jobs to build it. Wherever i go, i meet workers benefiting from these jobs and i think often of workers like the young veteran i met who reminded me of people i got to know when i was in uniform who go on to face the challenges of civilian life. He talked about what it was like coming off active duty as a marine and said, i came across this union. The of training i got for the purpose i have prevented me from coming becoming a statistic. He is now the first person in his family to own a house. We know what it means to have these kinds of jobs. These benefits are multiplied across thousands of projects improving transportation across the country and the millions of jobs they support. Helping build stronger supply chains, cleaner air, and deliver safer, more affordable ways for every american to get where they want to go. We have made progress and we look forward to working with this committee to continue delivering for every community in this country. Thank you for the opportunity to be here. Chair schatz i will start with tribal transportation. We have significantly increased funding for tribal transportation. Currently there are 157,000 miles of road listed on the National Tribal facility inventory. 60 are unpaved. 62 of 150,000 miles of roads are unpaved. How successful have tribes been in accessing d. O. T. s grant awards in comparison to state department of transportation . If the answer is not as successful as they ought to be, what are we doing about it . Sec. Buttigieg likewise i have found it extraordinary how much tribes are asked to do with how little in terms of the Resources Available to them. We have sought to make sure there is equitable and supported access to our competitive Grant Programs. I have been pleased to note many of our recent award announcements have included successful applications by tribal applicants, most recently a protect grant in south dakota that was among the largest in that round. We also recognized that often tribal governments dont have the same resources that many welloff cities or states or other communities might, which is why we have dedicated tribal infrastructure at the d. O. T. Fdas Tribal Transit Program includes 46 million in competitive funding over five years, which we are interesting we are requesting them to increased of 80 we got 80 over the previous authorization. We also have an office of Tribal Affairs helping facilitate our relationships in Indian Country. Candidly there is a long way to go to make sure Indian Country and tribal applicants are getting the transportation support they need and we will continue working with the mechanisms we have at the d. O. T. As well as engaging other players to make sure we are working together. Chair schatz it is hard to apply and i think thats something maybe the department can do something about. If you are the kind of tribe that has just a few hundred members but lots of land miles, you are likely not in a position to assemble a team to do the kind of application that the state department of transportation would be able to do. Lets talk about air Traffic Controllers staffing. There is a balance you have to strike because they are tired. Air Traffic Controller fatigue is not just a morale question, its a safety question. Senator shaheen has been a leader on this. Some of the recommendations are to give folks more rest, and yet we are short air Traffic Controllers. Once the problem in hiring . I dont mean this as a backhanded compliment, but you think like a consultant so i know you have thought about this aspect of the problem and im wondering if you can tell us about the process of change here. Sec. Buttigieg the bottom line is we need more controllers and are enacting acting to make that a reality. Fiscal year 2025 would be 2000 new controllers, up from 1500 last year. That puts us ahead of attrition but not by much which is why we are trying to accelerate that and get the resources to continue the controller hiring and training surge. We are also working to make sure we expand the pipeline. This is part of why the faa is working with colleges and universities. To supplement the cape abilities we have with our academy. The bottom line is we have to and will maintain a High Standard for what it takes to become a controller, but we are also seeing more people move through the system and meet that High Standard and are requesting resources to continue that. Chair schatz we have 43 more