Waiving Points of Order Against Conference Report on H.R. 3058, Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, the District..
WAVING POINTS OF ORDER AGAINST CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 3058, TRANSPORTATION, TREASURY, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, THE JUDICIARY, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2006 -- (House of Representatives - November 18, 2005)
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Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Ms. MATSUI asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)
Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding me this time.
Mr. Speaker, we are considering a rule for H.R. 3058, which will appropriate funding for a broad section of the Federal Government, including the Departments of Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, as well as the Federal judiciary and the District of Columbia. I commend all the conferees and particularly Chairman Knollenberg and Ranking Member OLVER for their dedication to completing the conference report on this sprawling piece of legislation. It is a tremendous challenge to achieve consensus on such a broad range of priorities, and I believe this bill reflects outstanding leadership, considering the allotted resources for the job.
I was particularly pleased with the final funding for Amtrak, especially when you consider where we started. While the original House bill provided funds at a level that would have decimated the Nation's passenger rail system, the conference report funding level will allow Amtrak to continue running its current operations. In my hometown of Sacramento, Amtrak is heavily relied upon, and I know my constituents will be relieved that the conferees have provided this funding.
From the housing portion of the bill, I would like to highlight the importance of the Community Development Block Grant Program. CDBG is a highly effective program that provides the resources to improve, energize and revitalize communities across the Nation. Like hundreds of cities across the country, in Sacramento CDBG has enabled transformative improvements to downtown and the rest of the city. I thank the appropriators for recognizing the vital nature of CDBG in providing this funding.
Another vital community resource funded in this bill is the housing choice voucher program known as section 8. This program allows low-income families, senior citizens and citizens with disabilities to obtain affordable housing.
On several occasions, my constituents have told me that were it not for these vouchers, they would have faced the fear and uncertainty associated with not knowing if tomorrow you have someplace to call home. It is clear that this program makes a difference in people's lives. I hope that when we come back next year and start to put together the FY 2007 budget, we will remember the positive impact that these programs have on the lives of our constituents and all Americans.
Even though we will again face limited resources, I hope that when the time comes to construct the budget, we will begin by determining who truly needs the government's help the most and which programs are most effective at delivering positive results. If we make that our top priority, I am sure this Congress and the Nation will be satisfied with the results.
Again, I thank the appropriators for their hard work and leadership this year on this conference report and throughout the year. I hope my colleagues will support the rule and the underlying bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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