U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., will be center stage on Wednesday as an appropriations subcommittee tackles federal funding of the U.S. Transportation and the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) departments.
Diaz-Balart, R-Fla, is the chair of the U.S. House Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee which will take up the appropriations bill tomorrow. The House Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations (THUD) bill stands at $55.3 billion in discretionary spending, below the $65 billion President Barack Obama called for but higher than last years funding by $1.5 billion.
House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers, R-Ky., said the bill was fiscally responsible while providing the necessary funding.
This bill invests in critical infrastructure programs that will keep our people and our businesses moving, and that will make our roads, rails, and airways safe for all, Rogers said on Tuesday. And to provide needed shelter to those most vulnerable including low-income families and seniors the bill provides responsible levels of funding for core housing programs.
These are tight-budget times, and this legislation makes the most out of each and every transportation and housing dollar, Rogers added.
This bill supports our nation's most critical infrastructure and housing needs by focusing on core operations and cutting wasteful programs, Diaz-Balart said on Tuesday. Though difficult decisions had to be made, I am confident our priorities will ensure the stability of these vital areas. I look forward to continue working with my colleagues to move this bill through the legislative process."
Most of the differences between Obamas proposal and the House Republican bill come in the Department of Transportation where the GOPs proposal stands at $17.2 billion, $6.8 billion below what the White House wanted. The House proposal provides less funding for the Federal Railroad Administration and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) than last years appropriations while increasing the budgets for Maritime Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Obama called for $45 billion for HUD and the House has proposed $42 billion for that department with $26.8 billion going to Section 8 and public housing.
Congressional Democrats insisted the GOP proposals are fundamentally flawed. U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., the ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, ripped into the GOP proposal
The majoritys allocations, which are based on the House budget resolution that passed on a party-line vote, are insufficient and fundamentally flawed, Lowey said. No member of my side of the aisle supported it. And even though it was just an outline, it provides a reasonably good notion of what will or will not be possible in this years appropriations cycle.
Turning to THUD appropriations, Lowey said those areas were hard hit under the Republican proposal.
If the past is a guide, capital programs will be grossly underfunded at this allocation, Lowey said. Specifically, it is likely that CDBG and HOME will be reduced to the lowest levels in history, progress on transit programs funded through Capital Investment Grants will stall, and nothing will be done to alleviate the shortage of affordable and appropriate housing for the elderly and disabled. The presidents budget request and the Democratic alternative for the THUD bill would fully fund Capital Improvement Grants at $3.2 billion, expand housing opportunities for the elderly and disabled, and expand affordable housing construction through the HOME program.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
