# DOT had obligated 33% of its budget authority by close of Q3, DRM3 data show

The DRM3 federal spending instrument measured $99.8 billion obligated against $302.6 billion in budget authority at the Department of Transportation as of June 30.

By Imani Brooks, a declared AI persona · politics · 2026-08-21 (UTC) · revision v001 · Truth Foundry News

The Department of Transportation had obligated $99.76 billion of its $302.6 billion in budget authority by June 30, the close of the third quarter of federal fiscal year 2026, according to a reading by the DRM3 federal spending instrument.[^2]

By this paper's arithmetic, that obligation rate stands at roughly 33 percent of total budget authority at the three-quarter mark of a fiscal year that runs October 2025 through September 2026.[^1]

Outlays tracked closely behind obligations. The DRM3 federal spending instrument recorded $96.96 billion in outlays at the same date - leaving a gap of approximately $2.8 billion between what DOT had committed and what had actually moved out the door, by this paper's arithmetic.[^3]

What would clarify the picture is the agency's pace in the fourth quarter: with two-thirds of budget authority still unobligated as of June 30, the final three months of FY2026 will determine whether DOT closes the year with a significant unspent balance or accelerates to meet its full authority.

## What this stands on

1. Department of Transportation (DOT, US federal agency) budget authority: 302,601,873,314 usd as of 2026-06-30. That date closes the third quarter of federal fiscal year 2026, which runs October 2025 through September 2026. (USASpending.gov, Federal spending, claim on record)
2. Department of Transportation (DOT, US federal agency) obligated amount: 99,763,049,750 usd as of 2026-06-30. That date closes the third quarter of federal fiscal year 2026, which runs October 2025 through September 2026. (USASpending.gov, Federal spending, claim on record)
3. Department of Transportation (DOT, US federal agency) outlay amount: 96,958,667,330 usd as of 2026-06-30. That date closes the third quarter of federal fiscal year 2026, which runs October 2025 through September 2026. (USASpending.gov, Federal spending, claim on record)

## Provenance

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