[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 100 (Friday, June 29, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1183]
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. MARCIA L. FUDGE

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 26, 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. FUDGE. Mr. Chair, I rise today to address the dire need to 
provide resources to repair our nation's infrastructure and put 
Americans back to work.
  One of the best ways to create jobs today is to invest in American 
transportation and infrastructure through the fiscal year 2013 
Transportation-Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill.
  According to the Federal Highway Administration, approximately 35,000 
jobs are created for every $1 billion spent on highway and bridge 
construction. If Congress can spend a billion dollars each month 
fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, then we should be able to invest 
in America's workforce and infrastructure.
  The very foundation of America, our infrastructure, is crumbling 
beneath our feet. The current condition of the infrastructure in the 
U.S. earns a grade of ``D''.
  One-third of our roads are in poor, mediocre or fair condition and 
nearly 70,000 of our bridges are structurally deficient.
  China and India have outpaced the U.S. with respect to infrastructure 
spending. Among developed countries, we rank 23rd in the world, behind 
South Korea, Taiwan and Barbados.
  Now is not the time to short change our future; now is the time to 
repair our infrastructure.
  In addition to repairing America's infrastructure, it is imperative 
that I address the lack of funding for housing in the Transportation-
Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill. Allowing drastic 
cuts in the HUD budget squanders the opportunity to create jobs and 
address the nation's affordable housing needs.
  Simply stated, vulnerable Americans will lose their housing if 
Congress passes this bill in its current form. This bill will ``short 
fund'' project-based Section 8 contracts, which will force HUD to 
straddle fiscal years to shift costs from FY2013 to FY2014 and beyond. 
Because contracts are currently funded for 12 months, the proposed $1.1 
billion in ``savings'' will have to be made up in the next fiscal year.
  If the funds are not replenished in fiscal year 2014 and beyond, the 
consequences will be dire:
  1.3 million families, 53 percent of whom are elderly or disabled, 
face losing their housing;
  100,000 jobs will be in jeopardy;
  $460 million in local tax receipts could be lost; and
  $13.6 billion in Federal Housing Authority insured debt will be at 
risk.
  If funding for contract renewals under the Tenant Based Rental 
Assistance program is not increased, 58,000 low-income households will 
lose rental assistance in fiscal year 2013.
  The reality is that millions of low-income families, who need a 
strong safety net, are assisted by HUD to help them through difficult 
times. By eliminating this funding, we are pulling the safety, net from 
underneath them allowing more Americans to fall into poverty and 
homelessness.
  I urge my colleagues to oppose this Appropriations bill.

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