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≡ ANALYSIS & OBSERVATIONS ≡
The 567-page “Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026” – also known as H.R. 7148 – became Public Law 119-75 on 3 February with the signature of U.S. President Donald Trump.
It allocated billions of dollars for military and civilian programs, and touched on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic & Paralympic Games and even the long-running fight between the U.S. Congress and the World Anti-Doping Agency.
So, here’s what happened:
FIFA World Cup 2026:
The bill, of course, only allocated funding for the 11 U.S. sites for the tournament starting in June. A push from Representatives and Senators from the 10 involved states – California, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey and New York, Massachusetts, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington – resulted in a little more than $100 million for transportation only.
And the grants will not simply be doled out equally to each World Cup city:
● “[T]he Secretary shall make $100,250,212 available for grants to transit agencies for costs related to eligible planning, capital, and operating expenses for equipment and facilities in support of matches or other public events held in domestic host cities for the FIFA World Cup 2026.”
● “Provided, That the Secretary shall apportion such amounts not later than 30 days after enactment of this Act so that the transit agencies in each of the domestic host cities for the FIFA World Cup 2026 are each entitled to receive an amount equal to:
“(1) 70 percent of the total amount apportioned multiplied by a ratio equal to the FIFA estimated stadium capacity of the host stadium at the time of apportionment divided by the total FIFA estimated stadium capacity of all host stadiums at the time of apportionment; and
“(2) 30 percent of the total amount apportioned multiplied by a ratio equal to the number of matches to be held in the host stadium divided by the total number of matches to be held in all host cities in the United States.”
This means that Dallas, with AT&T Stadium at about 94,000 capacity, will get the most money and transit authorities around Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts and Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, at about 65,000 each, will likely get the least.
Because the money is coming from the Department of Transportation, “amounts made available in this section are available for the planning, capital, and operating expenses of transit agencies for hosting matches or other public events held in domestic host cities for the FIFA World Cup 2026″ and nothing else.
Olympic & Paralympic Games 2028:
The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Agency has been asking the Federal government for up to $3.2 billion in support for the Olympic period in 2028 and had gotten nothing from either the Biden or Trump Administrations, until now. Finally, in the Department of Transportation allocation:
● “[T]he Secretary shall make $94,316,766 available for transportation assistance, including assistance with transit planning, capital projects, and operating assistance, for surface, commuter, and public transportation systems necessary to support the mobility needs of the international quadrennial Olympic and Paralympic events.”
● “Provided, That such assistance shall be for any eligible entity … that serves or supports service to a venue that is part of the 2028 international quadrennial Olympic or Paralympic events.”
● “Provided further, That such assistance may be provided through direct grants or cooperative agreements for which the Federal share shall not exceed 80 percent, with the exception of assistance for a supplemental public transportation bus system which shall be no less than 90 percent.”
So, Metro has to come up with some other funding to add to the Federal support, and can share this amount with regional operators who provide 2028 transport support services. That should present no difficulties.
World Anti-Doping Agency:
The U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy is the government entity which has paid the U.S. dues to the World Anti-Doping Agency, but has not paid for 2024 or 2025. The bill does pay for what appear to be the 2025 dues, but only on conditions which the Congress has insisted on in the wake of the Chinese mass-positives incident from January 2021:
● “[U]p to $3,700,000 for the United States membership dues to the World Anti-Doping Agency …”
● “That the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy shall, not fewer than 30 days prior to obligating funds under this heading for United States membership dues to the World Anti-Doping Agency, submit to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate a spending plan and explanation of the proposed uses of these funds.”
● “Provided further, That such plan shall include the results of an audit of the World Anti-Doping Agency to be conducted by external anti-doping experts and experienced independent auditors that demonstrate the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Executive Committee and Foundation are operating consistent with their duties.”
WADA has already said it does not need to be audited any more than it already is.
Observed: The transport grants for the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be welcomed, but are short of what was hoped for, especially for the L.A. Metro Transportation Agency.
However, Metro badly needs this money to secure parking and maintenance lots for the 2028 Games period and has been told that funding was needed by mid-year 2026. Now it will get some Federal support, as it has said it needed. But it will need more.
As far as the WADA allocation, any cooperation from it on the audit required by the bill is unlikely. And WADA President Witold Banka (POL) said in remarks in Milan last week, “I wish we could have this money, [U.S.] contributions, but WADA is financially very stable, so this is not the biggest problem.”
Sounds like nothing will happen fast there.
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