Hyde-Smith gains committee approval for FY2026 Transportation, HUD funding bill

Published 5:20 pm Friday, July 25, 2025

Legislation would provide $2.5M for Brookhaven-Lincoln County Airport

Thursday, U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) gained approval from the Senate Appropriations Committee of a funding bill to make significant investments in air traffic safety and housing affordability.

Hyde-Smith chairs the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee that wrote the FY2026 THUD Appropriations Bill. Approved by a bipartisan 27-1 vote, the bill will now be considered by the full Senate.

“We’ve worked to achieve a strong bipartisan product that maximizes finite resources to carry out a broad range of programs and activities, ranging from highway safety to homelessness prevention to community development,” said Hyde-Smith.  

“In the end, this bill is fiscally responsible and responsive to our nation’s needs, adhering to budgetary constraints, while making key investments to improve our nation’s transportation infrastructure and, among other things, fully funding existing rental assistance for seniors, the disabled, and working families,” she said.

In presenting the THUD bill during the markup, Hyde-Smith noted that the January mid-air collision over the Potomac River and other air traffic control communications outages drove the need for the bill to fund aviation safety measures, including the Trump administration’s request for $4 billion to modernize the nation’s air traffic system and to hire 2,500 new air traffic controllers, as well as 91 additional safety inspectors and engineers.

The bill also reflects bipartisan support for programs like the Community Development Block Grant program, which helps state and local governments promote economic development and job creation. It provides robust funding for HUD Self-Sufficiency Programs to improve financial literacy, increase access to job training and educational opportunities, and help families and individuals transition from relying on HUD or other welfare assistance.

For Mississippi, Hyde-Smith worked to support programs, projects, and policies of benefit to communities across the state.

“I worked to ensure this bill would support surface, air, port, and rail transportation projects across Mississippi. We also tried to provide resources for housing, workforce development, and community improvement work,” Hyde-Smith said. “This is good start, but there’s more work to do before this becomes law. Overall, I’m pleased with how well Mississippi is treated in this bipartisan legislation.”

Mississippi communities should also benefit from continued funding for priority programs, including BUILD, the competitive Rural Bridge repair and rehabilitation program under which Mississippi is eligible to receive up to $55 million, the Port Infrastructure Development Program, Small Shipyards grants, Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement Grants, and the National Scenic Byways Program.

Some of the Mississippi-specific projects specified for funding in the bill are:

Transportation

•    Brookhaven Lincoln County Airport Fixed Base Operator Facility – $2.5 million

•    Lake Okhissa Access Improvements – $2 million 

•    Natchez Canal Street Bridge Replacement – $2 million

•    I-55/I-69 Widening, DeSoto County – $2 million

•    Neshoba County MS 19 Widening – $2 million

•    Hinds Community College Aviation Instruction Expansion (JVW) – $1,993,000

•    City of Gulfport Dedeaux Road Widening – $1.5 million

•    Meridian Regional Airport Construction – $1 million

•    Greene County Regional Airport Development – $500,000

Housing and Urban Development

•    Gulf Coast Center for Nonviolence, Inc., Family Justice Center Expansion, Biloxi – $5 million

•    Forrest County Agricultural High School Career and Technical Education Expansion – $5 million

•    Vicksburg National Military Park Visitor Center – $3 million

•    Vicksburg Floodwall Improvements – $3 million

•    Mississippi Food Network Storage Capacity Enhancements – $3 million

•    Greenwood-Leflore-Carroll Economic Development Foundation – $2 million 

•    East Central Community College Veteran Center Building – $800,000

•    Mississippi’s Toughest Kids Facility Improvements, Copiah County – $775,000 

•    Town of Cary Fire Station Improvements – $600,000

The Senate Appropriations Committee has now approved six of the 12 annual appropriations bills, which Senate Majority Leader Thune has committed to bringing to the full Senate for consideration.