Discretionary Spending
Function 400 - Transportation
Eliminate Funding for Amtrak and the Essential Air Service Program
CBO periodically issues a compendium of policy options (called Options for Reducing the Deficit) covering a broad range of issues, as well as separate reports that include options for changing federal tax and spending policies in particular areas. This option appears in one of those publications. The options are derived from many sources and reflect a range of possibilities. For each option, CBO presents an estimate of its effects on the budget but makes no recommendations. Inclusion or exclusion of any particular option does not imply an endorsement or rejection by CBO.
| Billions of Dollars | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2021– 2025 |
2021– 2030 |
|
| Eliminate Funding for Amtrak | |||||||||||||
| Change in Discretionary Spending | |||||||||||||
| Budget authority | 0 | -2.0 | -2.1 | -2.1 | -2.2 | -2.2 | -2.3 | -2.3 | -2.3 | -2.4 | -8.4 | -19.9 | |
| Outlays | 0 | -2.0 | -2.1 | -2.1 | -2.2 | -2.2 | -2.3 | -2.3 | -2.3 | -2.4 | -8.4 | -19.9 | |
| Discontinue the Essential Air Service Programa | |||||||||||||
| Change in Discretionary Spending | |||||||||||||
| Budget authority | 0 | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.7 | -1.6 | |
| Outlays | 0 | -0.1 | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.6 | -1.6 | |
| Change in Mandatory Outlays | 0 | -0.1 | -0.1 | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.5 | -1.5 | |
This option would take effect in October 2021.
a. Changes in discretionary spending stem from discontinuing payments to air carriers; changes in mandatory spending stem from eliminating spending associated with fees charged to aircraft that fly over U.S. airspace but take off and land elsewhere.
The federal government subsidizes intercity travel by providing funding for the National Railroad Passenger Corporation—or Amtrak—as well as for the Essential Air Service (EAS) program, which was created to guarantee a minimal level of airline service to eligible communities. The EAS program has both discretionary and mandatory budget authority.
This option would eliminate funding for Amtrak and discontinue the EAS program.