[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 78 (Friday, June 16, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1184]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




TRANSPORTATION, TREASURY, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, THE JUDICIARY, 
 THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  2007

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                               speech of

                           HON. BOB ETHERIDGE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 14, 2006

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5576) making 
     appropriations for the Departments of Transportation, 
     Treasury, and Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, 
     District of Columbia, and independent agencies for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 2007, and for other purposes:

  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 5576, 
the Transportation-Treasury-Housing and Urban Development-Judiciary-DC 
Appropriations Act of 2007.
  This bill will provide over $139 billion in budgetary resources, 
including direct appropriations and funds from the transportation trust 
fund. Our highways and infrastructure system built this Nation, and we 
need to maintain them. This legislation brings the funding level to the 
amount required in the recently passed transportation bill, provides 
over $1 billion for Amtrak and other rail service, as well as the funds 
needed to maintain our Community Development Block Grant and elderly 
housing programs.
  But I believe that this could have been a better bill. The proposed 
cuts to the HUD programs such as Hope VI and Section 8 housing for the 
elderly should have been rejected.
  I support H.R. 5576 as amended, and urge my colleagues to join me in 
voting for this bill.

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