WASHINGTON — Congressional appropriators will be hard-pressed to provide more funding for high-speed rail for fiscal 2011 unless there is clear evidence that the $10.5 billion lawmakers approved for the sector has been used by state and local governments, a congressional staffer said yesterday at a rail industry meeting here.
“This year is going to be pretty tough,” said Sylvia Garcia, a staff member of the House Appropriations transportation, housing, and urban development subcommittee.
Garcia warned that the size of the overall budget, much less the transportation portion, is still uncertain. Congress has not yet voted on a budget resolution. If or when that happens, it may decide to either freeze or decrease spending in fiscal 2011, she said.
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