The fiscal 2026 transportation funding bill includes $200 million for enhancing commercial parking facilities. (vitpho/Getty Images)
January 29, 2026 12:50 PM, EST
Key Takeaways:
- A Senate impasse over a fiscal 2026 transportation funding package has stalled a bill that includes $200 million to expand truck parking as lawmakers race to avoid a partial government shutdown.
- The funding, managed largely by the Federal Highway Administration, is backed by trucking groups like ATA that cite a severe national parking shortage.
- Senate Democrats are pressing to split the multibill package over disputes about immigration enforcement funding.
A bill that would give a significant funding boost for projects aimed at expanding access to truck parking nationwide appears stuck in the Senate.
As Congress looks to avert a partial government shutdown, senators have yet to agree on a path forward on a fiscal 2026 transportation funding bill. That legislation, which would cover operations at the Department of Transportation, includes $200 million for enhancing commercial parking facilities.
The transportation funding legislation is included in a multibill package that would fund work at the Coast Guard, emergency response programs and immigration enforcement, among other federal functions.
Funding authority for the federal government expires Jan. 30. Failing to clear for President Donald Trump the fiscal 2026 multibill legislation would result in a partial shutdown. Last fall, Congress’ funding disagreements resulted in the longest government shutdown on record.
Productive talks are ongoing, and I urge my Democrat colleagues to continue their engagement and find a path forward that will avoid a needless shutdown.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.)
Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) called on his colleagues to avoid another shutdown. “Funding for a substantial portion of the government runs out this week, and we are on the clock to pass the remaining fiscal-year 2026 appropriations bills,” Thune said Jan. 27.
“Productive talks are ongoing, and I urge my Democrat colleagues to continue their engagement and find a path forward that will avoid a needless shutdown and not jeopardize full funding for key agencies like [the Federal Emergency Management Agency] and the Coast Guard,” the senate leader affirmed, adding: “We need to fund these and other essential agencies and finish our 2026 appropriations work now.”
Days earlier, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) sought to capture the moment on Capitol Hill. As he put it, “The House has now passed all 12 appropriations bills, and the Senate will do the same, and the president is going to sign them into law. What a concept! I want to say this again for emphasis, and I don’t want anyone to miss the significance of this: The House has passed 12 appropriations bills, and soon they will become law.”
Given how little time we have left before the funding deadline, the first right step for the Senate is for Leader Thune to split the funding bills and put the five bills on the floor, 96% of federal funding, that can pass.
Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)
At issue for Senate Democrats, however, are proposed funding allocations for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the minority caucus’ leader, on Jan. 28 proposed a compromise during the chamber’s high-profile legislative negotiations. “Given how little time we have left before the funding deadline, the first right step for the Senate is for Leader Thune to split the funding bills and put the five bills on the floor, 96% of federal funding, that can pass,” Schumer said.
“It’s the right and expedient thing to do to ensure that most of the government is funded in time. And if Leader Thune doesn’t do it, the shutdown of the government is on his back,” Schumer added.
The $200 million specific for truck parking included in the legislation would be managed primarily by the Federal Highway Administration. Stakeholders, such as American Trucking Associations, strongly endorsed the funding boost. Industry leaders have repeatedly urged policymakers to increase truck parking resources.
“The severe, ongoing shortage of truck parking places an immense burden on truck drivers and creates significant roadway hazards. Truckers are essential to Americans’ way of life, and the least we can do to show our support is to ensure they have a safe place to park and sleep when they take their federally mandated rest break or finish their shift,” ATA President Chris Spear said soon after the bill was unveiled earlier this month.
“We thank the members of the House and Senate Appropriations committees for prioritizing this significant investment in truck parking as well as additional provisions that will strengthen our supply chain,” Spear continued. “We are especially appreciative of the decisive leadership of Rep. [Steve] Womack for ensuring the truck parking provision was incorporated in the final bill.”
“Womack’s commitment to issues such as truck parking demonstrates his understanding that the men and women who deliver America’s freight deserve convenient, safe and readily available places to rest,” Arkansas Trucking Association President Shannon Newton said. Womack (R-Ark.) is chairman of the House transportation appropriations subcommittee.
Insufficient parking for commercial drivers consistently ranks among the top five industry concerns in a list prepared annually by the American Transportation Research Institute. The fiscal 2026 transportation legislation also would seek to enhance DOT’s response to cargo theft, further review concerns linked to commercial towing and gain a status update on the creation of a national autonomous vehicle regulatory framework.
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