{
  "id": "98-749",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "98-749",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 105225,
      "date": "1998-09-04",
      "retrieved": "2016-05-24T20:51:49.935941",
      "title": "The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) and the Federal Budget",
      "summary": "The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century ( P.L. 105-178 )(TEA-21) changes the\nrelationship\nbetween the highway trust fund and the federal budget process. Spending for highway programs is\nnow linked directly to annual revenue collections for the highway trust fund. Core highway and\nmass transit program funding has been given special status in the discretionary portion of the federal\nbudget by virtue of the creation of two new budget categories. As a result, highway and transit\nprograms become similar to entitlement programs during the period FY2000 through FY2003. \n  From the perspective of the authors of TEA-21 the Act creates a virtual \"firewall\" around\nhighway and mass transportation spending programs. That is, the levels of funding enunciated in\nthe Act are described as a \"transportation discretionary spending guarantee.\" The funding guarantees\nare set up in a way that makes it difficult for funding levels to be altered as part of the annual\nbudget/appropriations process. \n  The budget system initiated by TEA-21 could be viewed as an experiment in federal budgeting. \nThe outcome of the experiment will obviously play an important role in determining how federal\ntransportation programs will operate in the future. The change in budget treatment of the highway\ntrust fund has implications for spending not only on highways and mass transit, but may have an\neffect on the availability of annual funding for other transportation and discretionary budget\nprograms. TEA-21's budget provisions expire at the end of FY2003. As a result, Congress will be\ndealing with transportation budget issues again in the not too distant future.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": false,
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          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/98-749",
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      ],
      "topics": []
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Appropriations",
    "Economic Policy"
  ]
}