Cesar Chavez - 4th Street Cap Grant

[Colleen Pate]

We received word today that the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chair Sam Graves (R-MO) released his piece of the massive budget reconciliation package that the House leadership hopes to pass before Memorial Day. The House T&I Committee has instructions to produce its portion a piece of the reconciliation package that provides a new reduction of the federal budget deficit of $10 billion over 10 years.

Unfortunately, to meet these goals, the bill would rescind all unobligated balances from the Neighborhood Access & Equity Grant Program, including the $105 million that USDOT awarded to Cesar Chavez to 4th Street portion of I-35 Cap & Stitch.

It is expected that the T&I Committee will approve the bill by a party line vote when they take it up tomorrow morning. After that, the T&I bill will be combined with bills from other House committees and be voted on by the full House sometime in May, if the leadership’s schedule holds.

The overall budget reconciliation bill could face some hurdles on the House floor, especially if, as expected, it outlines reduced spending on Medicaid and nutrition programs. It will also face challenges in the Senate. So, there is still some chance that the grant could make it. However, we should expect that a budget reconciliation bill will reach the President’s desk and that it will include rescission of many unobligated balances form Inflation Reduction Act programs.

For our discussions regarding the cap between Cesar Chavez and 4th Street, please reference page 9 of the staff presentation at the April 8, 2025, work session. That page includes scenarios assuming no NAE grant.

Working with our IGR office and our team in D.C., we’ll work to keep you informed on this.

Thanks.

Kirk

On behalf of Mayor Watson