Appropriations Committee Approves 2015 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Bill

The House Appropriations Committee has approved the fiscal year 2015 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development funding bill on a vote of 28-21.

The legislation includes funding for the Department of Transportation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and other related agencies.

In total, the bill reflects an allocation of $52 billion in discretionary spending – an increase of $1.2 billion above the fiscal year 2014 enacted level and a decrease of $7.8 billion below the President’s budget request.

However, given the reduction in offsets caused by a decline in Federal Housing Administration receipts, the program level within the bill is more accurately $1.8 billion below the current level. Within the legislation, funds are targeted toward transportation, infrastructure, and housing programs of national need and significance that have the biggest impact on Americans and communities across the country.

“This bill focuses funding on the infrastructure that grows the American economy and on the housing options that protect our most vulnerable citizens. These investments are important to our economic growth, important to the safety of our citizens, and important to those people who might worry about whether or not they will have a roof over their heads tomorrow,” Chairman Rogers said.

“But, we also must be mindful of the spending of each tax dollar – this bill strikes a fine balance between fiscal restraint and careful investment in our nation’s transportation infrastructure and economic well-being.”

Subcommittee Chairman Tom Latham added, “My priorities in this process were to act in a bipartisan fashion to fund our most vital programs with our critical need to reduce the deficit. This is a sound, commonsense bill that meets our highest transportation and housing priorities in a fiscally responsible way.”

Category: General Update