[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 91 (Tuesday, June 9, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E863-E864]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2016

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 3, 2015

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2577) making 
     appropriations for the Departments of Transportation, and 
     Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies for the 
     fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and for other 
     purposes:

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Chair, I rise today to express my strong 
opposition to H.R. 2577, the Transportation, Housing, and Urban 
Development Appropriations Act.
  This legislation is severely underfunded. Considering declining 
Federal Housing Administration receipts and increased Section 8 renewal 
costs, this year's THUD bill is funded at

[[Page E864]]

$1.5 billion below last year's level. The overall appropriations levels 
for all domestic discretionary programs and priorities is lower than at 
any point in more than a decade. That is the root cause of the problem, 
and until the reckless budget sequester is lifted, the priorities that 
Americans care about will not get the support they need. We must end 
sequestration now.
  But the specific cuts in this bill are also a concern. H.R. 2577 
imposes devastating cuts on housing priorities. It would impose a more 
than 10 percent cut in public housing management. It would also 
significantly underfund supportive housing for seniors, with that 
funding below last year's level and almost 10 percent below the 
President's request. Those cuts will have devastating impacts on 
Americans struggling to make ends meet.
  As has been highlighted by many of my colleagues, this bill also 
fails to make rail infrastructure, high speed rail, and positive train 
control a priority. Experts say that positive train control could have 
prevented the tragic Amtrak train derailment north of Philadelphia, but 
Congress continues to shirk its obligation to adequately support it. 
That failure is inexcusable.
  Finally, H.R. 2577 does not make the investment in auto safety 
oversight that the last year has proven we need. 2014 was the year of 
the recall, almost doubling the previous record. We're on pace to break 
the record again this year. Yet, this bill funds the National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration--the agency responsible for monitoring 
and improving auto safety--just 1 percent above last year's level. That 
is less than inflation. While I supported the amendment my colleague, 
Rep. Michael Burgess, successfully added to increase NHTSA funding by 
$4 million, that is just a drop in the bucket in terms of what is 
needed. It is also unfortunate that this bill cuts the Office of the 
Secretary of Transportation--4 percent below last year's level and more 
than 10 percent below the President's request--in order to slightly 
increase NHTSA funding. We need to consider legislation like H.R. 1811, 
the Vehicle Safety Improvement Act, which would more than double NHTSA 
funding for its important work through a new $3 fee on new vehicles. We 
need to ramp up resources, authority, and other support for NHTSA in 
order to significantly improve auto safety and save lives. I will 
continue to work with Mr. Burgess and others to get that done.
  These are just a handful of the overwhelming number of reasons I 
oppose H.R. 2577. I am glad that the President has issued a veto threat 
on the bill, and I will continue to work to ensure that it is never 
enacted.

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