Washington, D.C. – Today, the House Appropriations Committee considered and approved the Fiscal Year 2025 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act with a vote of 31 to 26.
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee Chairman Steve Womack (R-AR) stated, “With both targeted investments and targeted cuts, the Fiscal Year 2025 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill carefully allocates resources to the most critical missions at DOT and HUD while meeting our responsibility to rein in spending with a reduction of $7 billion below Fiscal Year 2024. The bill prioritizes the safety of all modes of transportation from our railways to roads and airways. We ensure a responsible safety net with housing support for our most vulnerable citizens. This bill includes numerous wins for communities across the nation, including Arkansas’ Third District. I’m pleased the bill passed the full committee today, and I look forward to getting it across the finish line. Thank you to my dear friend Chairman Cole for his leadership in this process.”
Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) remarked, “To herald the nation into the America of the future, we need to build smarter, move faster, and push the boundaries of ingenuity. This just-advanced bill reflects those points. Whether on a highway or airport runway, the strength of our transit systems, flow of freight, and safety of the traveling public are prioritized. Safety net resources to help vulnerable populations, including veterans and the elderly, are maintained. Responsible community investments support local decision-making, and we protect taxpayers from the Administration’s burdensome overreach. Chairman Womack’s leadership and experience as a mayor led to a measure dedicated to fiscal discipline and effective policy.”
The act provides a total discretionary allocation of $90.400 billion—$7.084 billion (7.3%) below FY24 levels—with non-defense discretionary funds amounting to $90.022 billion and defense discretionary funds totaling $378 million.
Key provisions include funding for highway, railway, and aviation safety; maintaining housing assistance for vulnerable populations; countering Chinese influence in autonomous vehicle manufacturing; funding national strategic sealift operations; reducing grants by nearly $3 billion across DOT's modal administration; rejecting increases in climate-related initiatives; eliminating unauthorized programs such as HUD Green New Deal public housing; maintaining housing assistance for elderly Americans; prohibiting certain equity-related executive orders from being implemented by DOT or HUD; banning new commercial flights to Cuba; blocking revised energy standards that would increase housing costs; among others.
During markup sessions:
- Committee Republicans rejected amendments proposed by Democrats that included enforcement of electronic logging devices for livestock transporters.
- Proposals allowing COVID-19 mask mandates on public transportation were also turned down.
Adopted amendments included:
- A Manager’s Amendment by Womack making technical changes.
- An amendment by Reschenthaler prohibiting tolls on Pennsylvania federal highways.
- An en bloc amendment by Clyde limiting social cost considerations in rulemaking.
Further details can be found through provided links for full text amendments before adoption.
