The overall allocation provided to this Committee by the Ryan Budget Resolution was unworkable from the start. It forced impossible choices and is, predictably, creating winners and losers among our twelve subcommittees.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I appreciate Chairman Latham's efforts to put this bill together. I also want to thank Ed Pastor for his leadership as the new Ranking Member of the subcommittee. The Chair and Ranking Member exemplify the spirit and history of bipartisan cooperation on this subcommittee.
This bill is funded at $44.1 billion, 15% less than the FY13 enacted level and $4.4 billion below the sequestration level. Chairman Latham tried to produce a reasonable bill, but the unacceptably low allocation thwarted his efforts. The mark before us:
• Halves funding for the Community Development Block Grant program to states, counties and cities, further impairing the economic recovery across the entire country;
• Halves funding for the Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control program, which risks the health of countless children by exposing them to lead, mold, and other contaminations;
• Ensures that the demand for affordable housing continues to greatly exceed the supply by cutting funding for the HOME program to the lowest level in the program's history;
• Terminates the much-needed update of the environmental impact statement on the Northeast Corridor and dramatically underfunds infrastructure investments along the Corridor; and
• Slows down the FAA's progress on implementing a next generation air traffic control system. Air travelers may not face furlough-related delays, but they will likely continue to be frustrated with the pace of air travel because investments aren't being made to meet the technological needs of a growing aviation system.
The bill also includes a controversial rider prohibiting funds for California High Speed rail. This program has been approved by the voters, funded by the legislature, and the California delegation overwhelmingly opposed the rider last year on the floor of the House.
On a positive note, I thank Chairman Latham for several priorities, including:
• Honoring the MAP-21 levels for surface transportation programs;
• Avoiding furloughs of FAA employees; and
• Funding a new round of vouchers for the Veteran's Affairs Supportive Housing program for homeless veterans.
However, the overall allocation provided to this Committee by the Ryan Budget Resolution was unworkable from the start. It forced impossible choices and is, predictably, creating winners and losers among our twelve subcommittees. THUD usually has broad bipartisan support. Unfortunately, the inadequate allocation has resulted in an unacceptable bill that I cannot support.
It is my sincere hope that we can improve this bill as the process moves forward, but that cannot happen unless a larger budget agreement is reached and sequestration is addressed. I again wish to reiterate my concern about any delay in those discussions. There are only three and a half months until the end of the fiscal year. A deal must be reached soon or most of this year's Appropriations bills stand no chance.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Source: U.S. Department of HCA
