Congresswoman Barbara Lee Applauds Passage of FY2020 Transportation and Housing Appropriations Funding Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In response to the House Appropriations Committee’s passage of the fiscal year 2020 appropriations bill for FY20 Transportation and Housing Appropriations, House Appropriations Committee Member Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) issued the following statement:
“This year’s Transportation and Housing Appropriations bill will provide robust investments in our transit and housing programs. In total, the legislation provides $137.1 billion in budgetary resources, an increase of $6 billion above the 2019 enacted level and $17.3 billion above the President’s budget request. The bill also includes $75.8 billion in discretionary funding, an increase of $4.7 billion over the 2019 enacted level and $17.3 billion over the President’s 2020 budget request.
“This bill provides much needed funding for our roads, bridges, and infrastructure by providing a $167 million increase for the Department of Transportation. What’s more, I am particularly pleased to see an increase of $5.9 billion over FY19 for all HUD programs.
“There is also $410 million, a $17 million increase, for Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS, which is the only federal program dedicated to the housing needs of people living with AIDS, a constituency that needs these resources.
“This bill also includes a $12 billion increase, for a total of $23.8 million, for tenant-based rental assistance and an $843 million increase for project-based rental assistance (totaling $12.6 billion), that will help millions of families rent safe, decent and quality homes. These subsidized programs will help us reach more extremely low-income households and hopefully continue to keep more families housed.
“This bill also includes a $500 million increase for the HOME Investment Program, which is the only federal housing program exclusively focused on addressing affordability. This much-needed increase will help communities like the East Bay, which is currently experiencing an affordable housing crisis.
“I am also pleased to see $164 million increase, totaling $2.8 billion, to the Homeless Assistance Grants (HAG), which is vital to improving access to housing and providing permanent supportive housing programs for families, veterans, and those who are chronically homeless, including in California.
“I look forward to seeing this bill on the Floor, and I appreciate the work that all the staff and members put into this bill.”
Other highlights of this bill include:
Department of Transportation (DOT)— The bill provides a total of $86.6 billion in total budgetary resources for DOT - $167 million above the 2019 enacted level and $3.7 billion above the President’s budget request. Of this amount, the bill includes:
- $1 billion for National Infrastructure Investments (TIGER/BUILD), $100 million above the 2019 enacted level
- $10 million to start a new Highly Automated Systems Safety Center of Excellence.
- $17.7 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), $267 million above the 2019 enacted level
- $48.9 billion for the Federal Highway Administration. $1.7 billion above the President’s budget request.
- $677 million for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, $10 million above the 2019 enacted level
- $1 billion for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, $44 million above the 2019 enacted level
- $3 billion for the Federal Railroad Administration, $96 million above the 2019 enacted
- $13.5 billion for the Federal Transit Administration, $60 million above the 2019 enacted level
- $40 million for the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, $4 million above the 2019 enacted level
- $1.1 billion for the Maritime Administration
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)— The bill provides a total of $50.1 billion for HUD - $5.9 billion above the 2019 enacted level and $13.4 billion above the President’s budget request. FHA and GNMA receipts are -$7.4 billion, $2.1 billion less in receipts than the 2019 enacted bill. Of the $50.1 billion, the bill includes:
- $32.7 billion for the Office of Public and Indian Housing, $1.7 billion above the 2019 enacted level
- $23.8 billion for Tenant-based Rental Assistance, $1.2 billion above the 2019 enacted level
- $40 million for HUD/VA Supportive Housing for Homeless Veterans,
- $5 million for HUD/VA Supportive Housing for Homeless Native American Veterans, $1 million above the 2019 enacted level.
- $2.9 billion for the Public Housing Capital Fund, $80 million above the 2019 enacted level.
- $4.8 billion for the Public Housing Operating Fund, $100 million above the 2019 $300 million for the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, $150 million above the 2019 enacted level.
- $855 million for Native American Programs, $35 million above the 2019 enacted
- $150 million for Self-Sufficiency Programs, $20 million above the 2019 enacted level
- $8.6 billion for the Office of Community Planning and Development, $917 million above the 2019 enacted level
- $410 million for Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS, $17 million above the 2019 enacted level
- $3.6 billion for Community Development Block Grants, $300 million above the 2019 enacted level.
- $1.75 billion for the HOME Investment Partnership Program, $500 million above the 2019 enacted level.
- $40 million for Section 4 Capacity Building, $5 million above the 2019 enacted level.
- $2.8 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants, $164 million above the 2019 enacted level
- $13.7 billion for the Office of Housing, $1.1 billion above the 2019 enacted level
- $12.6 billion for Project-Based Rental Assistance, $843 million above the 2019 enacted level
- $803 million for Housing for the Elderly, $125 million above the 2019 enacted level
- $259 million for Housing for Persons with Disabilities, $74 million above the 2019 enacted level
- $60 million for Housing Counseling, $10 million above the 2019 level
- $98 million for Policy Development and Research, $2 million above the 2019 enacted level
- $75.3 million for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, $10 million above the 2019 enacted level
- $290 million for the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes, $11 million above the 2019 enacted level
- The bill provides $380 million for the related agencies in the bill, $19 million above the 2019 enacted level and $146 million above the President’s budget request.
- $170 million for NeighborWorks, $18 million above the 2019 enacted level.
- $4.1 million for the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, $500,000 above the 2019 enacted level
Policy Provisions –
- Blocks the administration’s public housing rule change on undocumented immigrants in affordable housing, which would threaten the housing tenure of 55,000 children who are citizens or legal residents.
- Prohibits NHTSA from finalizing a rule that would roll back fuel-economy standards and lead to increased greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles.
- Prohibits future attacks on state meal and rest break laws.
- Requires all HUD grantees to develop a resiliency plan as part of the consolidated planning process.
A summary of the bill is here. The text of the bill is here. The bill report is here.
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