Senate approves 2004 appropriations bill

The Senate has approved the 2004 Omnibus Appropriations bill, which includes transportation funding for FY 2004. The bill now goes to President Bush, who has indicated that he will sign it. In the bill, transit is funded at $7.266 billion, an increase of $40 million over the Bush Administration's request and $87 million over FY 2003 levels. The bill would fund Amtrak at $1.218 billion and the highway program at $32.8 billion.