[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 114 (Monday, July 27, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2011-E2012]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2010

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 23, 2009

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the 
Transportation-HUD Appropriations Act of 2010. This bipartisan bill 
appropriates a total of $123.1 billion to fund the transportation, 
infrastructure, housing assistance and development and transportation 
security priorities of the American people. The bill includes urgently 
needed federal funding for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit 
Authority (WMATA) for which the entire Washington area delegation has 
long advocated.
  WMATA plays a major role in supporting the federal government. By 
some accounts, as many as 50 percent of peak hour riders are federal 
employees or contractors. Last year, Congress authorized $1.5 billion 
in dedicated Federal funding over 10 years for capital improvements and 
preventive maintenance. The legislation required the local 
jurisdictions to amend the WMATA compact to commit to providing 
matching funding, create an office of Inspector General, and enable the 
appointment of Federal representation on the WMATA Board. In late June, 
the delegation introduced companion resolutions to ratify the compact 
amendments.
  The tragic derailment on June 22nd highlighted the importance of 
securing a stable and dedicated funding source for Metro modernization 
efforts. This bill makes the first installment of Congress' 10-year 
$1.5 billion commitment by providing $150 million in new funding for 
grants to WMATA for the DC Metro to address safety deficiencies and to 
help maintain and expand the capital's subway system. This $150 million 
will help WMATA make urgent safety improvements and I thank Chairman 
Olver for his attention to this critical need.
  The bill also includes $4 billion for high-speed passenger rail 
projects, $10.5 billion for

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mass transit, $41.1 billion for highways, and $47 billion for the 
Housing and Urban Development Department.
  HUD oversees the administration of many of the nation's housing 
assistance programs including many important community-development 
programs like the Community Development Block Grants program which will 
receive $4.2 billion under the bill. The bill also provides $151 
million for grants under the Economic Development Initiative to finance 
targeted economic investments, and $18 million for the Neighborhood 
Initiative Program to improve blighted or distressed areas in our 
neighborhoods.
  The bill appropriates $1.9 billion for HUD homeless-assistance 
programs and $8.7 billion for the Section 8 program. This program is 
used by local housing authorities to provide rental subsidies to 
landlords who rent to low-income families.
  Additionally, as more Americans turn to public transit, the bill 
invests $10.48 billion in the Federal Transit Administration, including 
$1.83 billion for new construction and $8.34 billion for formula grants 
to improve existing systems.
  This bill makes critical transportation investments that will put 
Americans to work while also helping repair crumbling highways and 
bridges, improve public transit, and modernize air travel. I encourage 
my colleagues to join me in support of the bill.

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