US spending deal provides funding for 2,500 new air traffic controllers, $2.4 billion for Amtrak
Source: Reuters
January 20, 2026 11:59 AM EST Updated 5 hours ago
WASHINGTON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - A bipartisan spending deal announced by U.S. lawmakers Tuesday provides funding for 2,500 air traffic controllers and $2.4 billion for U.S. passenger railroad Amtrak, while cutting funds for electric vehicle charging and high-speed rail.
The congressional funding deal also includes $514 million to subsidize air services to rural communities, known as the Essential Air Service program, rejecting a White House proposal to cut the program by 50%, and boosts annual funding to modernize air traffic control towers by $824 million.
The budget bill provides $2 million for an independent study on the airspace in the Washington, D.C. area after a January 2025 crash between a U.S. Army helicopter and American Airlines passenger jet killed 67 people and exposed significant weaknesses in aviation safety.
The Federal Aviation Administration is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels, with many working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks. Congress last year approved $12.5 billion to modernize the aging U.S. air traffic control system, but Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wants another $19 billion to complete the project.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/congressional-spending-deal-provides-funding-2500-new-air-traffic-controllers-24-2026-01-20/