The Senate Appropriations Committee this morning easily approved a fiscal 2013 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development spending bill that slightly reduces funds from their fiscal 2012 levels.

The bill would set spending levels at $53.4 billion for fiscal 2013, a nearly $4 billion cut from the fiscal 2012 levels. Total funding for the transportation and housing programs would be $105.5 billion, representing a more than 3 percent cut from 2012.

The bill passed handily with a 28-1 margin along with the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies with Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) offering the only "no" vote.

The bill would offer $500 million for the popular Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER, livability grant program, while also investing more than $2 billion in transit through the "New Starts" program. The latter represents an $89 million increase over fiscal 2012.

There was no dedicated funding for high-speed rail in the bill, although it does include $1.75 billion for rail projects, with $1.45 billion for Amtrak.

The spending bill represents a decrease from the $74 billion President Obama requested for transportation.

Senators praised the work of Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), chairwoman of the transportation subcommittee, for crafting a bill that cuts spending while also investing in valuable infrastructure. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) said the bill likely represented "the closest we'll have to an infrastructure bill" that could pass Congress.

The Senate had previously passed a two-year, $109 billion transportation authorization bill and is moving to conference with the House on that bill soon.

The committee also approved a manager's amendment to the bill, although details of the package were not released at the vote and were not available in time for publication.

Several legislators raised concern with a program in the bill added by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) concerning rolling resistance for tires, which he said could improve fuel economy for light-duty vehicles. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) was among those who questioned whether the program would only benefit tire companies in Graham's home state, although he was assured that it would not.