[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 187 (Monday, November 13, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1085-E1086]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, November 6, 2023

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to H.R 4820, 
Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and 
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024. With this bill, House 
Republicans are cutting vital investments in our nation's crumbling 
infrastructure, jeopardizing housing supply, and inserting right-wing 
policy riders into funding bill debates.
  Last Congress, I was proud to work with my colleagues to pass the 
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to fix our roads and bridges, reduce 
emissions, and address historical inequities caused by our nation's 
interstate highway system. Now, Republicans are using H.R. 4820 to undo 
the progress Democrats made. H.R. 4820 includes a drastic cut to 
transit programs and zeroes out funding for the RAISE and MEGA grants 
that are essential to rebuilding infrastructure in our communities. 
Additionally, Republicans have made a drastic 35 percent cut to Amtrak 
National Network funding. This will devastate Amtrak's resources, 
resulting in a cut to train service for the Empire Builder and loss of 
jobs for Amtrak workers.
  This bill fails to address the lack of affordable housing in 
Minnesota's Fourth District and across the country. Republicans have 
made a devastating $1 billion cut to the HOME Investment Partnership 
Program, the best tool states and localities have to increase the 
supply of affordable houses for rent and home ownership. As Ranking 
Member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, I know all too well 
that a lack of supply in off-base housing has increased competition 
among military families and driven up housing costs. We see this all 
over the country. Last Congress, we had to increase the Basic Allowance 
for Housing to try to offset some of the challenges military families 
face, but as long as there is a shortage of affordable housing, this is 
only a band aid and not a permanent solution. The 67 percent cut to the 
HOME program included in H.R. 4820 will certainly result in less 
affordable housing options in our communities and drive up the cost of 
off-base housing for military families and the Department of Defense.
  My opposition to the bill is not solely due to the inadequate funding 
levels. This bill, like all of the Republican appropriations measures, 
embraces right-wing social policy fights that have no place in the 
bills that fund our government H.R. 4820 would explicitly allow 
discrimination based on same-sex marriages, strips away protections 
enshrined to all Americans in the Fair Housing Act of 1958, and ties 
the hands of the Department of Transportation to curb carbon emissions 
and build climate resilient infrastructure. These provisions must be 
rejected.
  Mr. Speaker, government funding runs out November 17th. Instead of 
reevaluating their extreme 2024 funding bills and working to find a 
bipartisan path forward to fund the government beyond next Friday, 
House Republicans have once again wasted time considering a bill that 
is too extreme even for their own party. Republicans don't have the 
power to pass their own bad bills. H.R. 4820 now joins the Agriculture 
bill in a purgatory of Republicans own making. I urge my colleagues to 
work in a bipartisan fashion to cut through this Republican chaos and 
avoid a government shut down.

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