[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 99 (Thursday, June 28, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1177-E1178]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2013

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. LAURA RICHARDSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 27, 2012

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5972) making 
     appropriations for the Departments of Transportation, and 
     Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies for the 
     fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, and for other 
     purposes:

  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Chair, later this week, the House is scheduled to 
consider H.R. 5972, the Transportation & Housing and Urban Development 
(THUD) Appropriations Art for Fiscal Year 2013. This bill funds the 
agencies that address our nation's housing and transportation needs, 
and is one of the most important pieces of legislation the House will 
consider this year. The THUD bill represents a tremendous opportunity 
to improve our economic competitiveness and ensure the wellbeing of 
working Americans, and I rise to offer some preliminary observations on 
the bill that will be debated over the next several days.
  I serve as a proud Member of the House Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure, and my home district is home to some of the busiest 
freeways, railways and ports in the country. I also have the privilege 
of representing many economically disadvantaged individuals who benefit 
from the fair housing initiatives and grant programs covered in this 
bill.
  I have long advocated, and will continue to advocate, on behalf of 
the 37th Congressional District of California for an enlightened 
transportation policy that will position the United States to compete 
and win in the global economy of the 21st Century. Since many 
amendments will have to be considered before the vote on final passage, 
I am reserving my final judgment as to how I will cast my vote. 
Nevertheless, I would like to take a moment to commend Mr. Latham and 
Mr. Olver, the Chair and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, for their 
work, including nine major funding requests that I submitted to the 
Committee in the bill reported to the House. Specifically the bill 
includes the following:
  Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. CDBG is the 
centerpiece of the federal governments efforts to help more than 1200 
cities, counties and states meet the needs of their low and moderate-
income people and communities. It revitalizes communities--with proven 
results. CDBG helps fund a wide range of activities including housing 
investments, public infrastructure improvements, public services, and 
local economic development projects where the private market is absent. 
The Committee recommended $3.344 billion, which was $44 million above 
my request.
  Fair Housing Initiatives Program. FHIP is a competitive grant program 
and is the primary source of funding for fair housing education and 
enforcement activities at the local level. Local fair housing 
organizations funded by FHIP protect the housing rights of the public 
and educate people about their fair housing rights. The program is 
vital given the extreme fragility that currently exists in the housing 
market. The Committee met my request by continuing funding at the FY12 
level of $42.5 million.
  Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program. HUD's Section 8 programs help 
low-income elderly, families with children, and people with 
disabilities secure and maintain decent, affordable homes. In both 
urban and rural communities, Section 8 rental assistance provides the 
foundation for millions of individuals and families to live with 
dignity, maintain steady work, and improve the lives of their children. 
The Committee recommended approximately $19.1 billion for this program, 
or $60 million above my request.
  Community Planning and Development from the Department of Housing and 
Urban Development. HUD's The Office of Community Planning and 
Development (CPD) seeks to develop viable communities by promoting 
integrated approaches that provide decent housing, a suitable living 
environment, and expand economic opportunities for low and moderate 
income persons. The primary means towards this end is the development 
of partnerships among all levels of government and the private sector, 
including for-profit and non-profit organizations. The Committee 
recommended $103.5 million. Although this was slightly below my 
request, it exceeded the FY12 level of funding by $3.5 million.
  Indian Community Development Block Grant. The Indian Community 
Development Block Grant (ICDBG) program provides competitive grants to 
Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages for housing, community 
facilities, and economic development. ICDGB funds community 
infrastructure like roads and sewer systems that improve the quality of 
available housing units while making new housing more affordable and 
accessible. The Committee met my request of $60 million.

[[Page E1178]]

  Native American Housing Block Grants. Indian Housing Block Grants go 
directly to tribally designated housing entities (TDHEs) for housing 
development, housing services for eligible families, crime prevention 
and safety, and demonstration projects that provide creative approaches 
to solving affordable housing shortages. TDHEs must submit an Indian 
Housing Plan each year they receive funding, followed by an end-of-year 
Annual Performance Report to report on progress towards meeting their 
goals. The Committee recommended $650 million for these grants, thereby 
meeting my request.
  HUD-VASH Program. HUD-VASH is the only program that supports the 
permanent housing and rehabilitation of homeless veterans. HUD-VASH is 
a joint HUD and VA initiative that provides specially designated 
Section 8 ``Housing Choice'' vouchers, case management, and supportive 
services to homeless veterans. Vouchers are used to assist with the 
payment of rent for veterans and their families. The goal of the 
program is to support veterans' permanent housing in the community. The 
Committee's recommendation was equal to my request of $75 million.
  Maritime Security Program. The Maritime Security Program ensures that 
the United States has the U.S.-flag commercial sealift capability and 
trained U.S. citizen merchant mariners available to crew the government 
and privately-owned vessels needed by the Department of Defense in time 
of war or other international emergency. The Committee matched my 
request of $184 million, which increased funding over FY12 levels by 
$10 million.
  Housing for the Elderly (Section 202) Capital Advance Program. 
Capital advances finance construction, rehabilitation, or acquisition 
of structures that will serve as supportive housing for very low-income 
elderly persons. Section 202 provides rent subsidies for projects to 
help keep them affordable for these vulnerable populations. We 
recommend reinstating funding to allow affordable special needs housing 
developers to provide supportive housing options for the elderly, 
particularly within AANHPI enclaves. The Committee exceeded my request 
for funding by allocating $425 million.
  Mr. Chair, I again extend my sincere thanks to Chairman Latham and 
Ranking Member Olver for their careful consideration of my 
appropriations requests. While I reserve my final judgment on this 
bill, I do believe that the full funding of these programs and 
departments will make a real difference in boosting the economy and 
improving the lives of vulnerable communities.

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