Transportation, Housing And Urban Development, And Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Floor Speech

TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2010 -- (Senate - September 10, 2009)

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Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I am very pleased that the Senate is now considering the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill for the coming year.

I will be making my opening remarks here, as I believe Senator Bond will as well, and I know a number of Senators have been talking about amendments to this bill. I wish to ask our colleagues if they do have amendments to get them to the floor this afternoon and at least get them filed to help us work with them and to begin to consider them. As we know, we have had the last vote today, but we wish to have some of these amendments offered over Friday and Monday so that we can move expeditiously to this important appropriations bill and be moving quickly by Monday afternoon. I do know some Senators on both sides have some amendments, which they have talked to us about. Again, although this is the last vote, I would ask Senators who do have amendments to help us work through this process by getting your amendments to the floor.

As we begin consideration of this important bill, it is important to note
that it has already been supported by broad bipartisan majorities. The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee has 20 Members. That is one-fifth of the Senate. It is one of the largest subcommittees in the Senate. But despite the diversity of issues of our very large subcommittee, back on July 29 we voted unanimously to report the bill to the full Appropriations Committee, and the next day, the members of the committee voted unanimously to report the bill to the Senate.

This bill does have broad bipartisan support because it addresses the very real housing and transportation needs of American families across all regions of the Nation. It has bipartisan support because it touches the lives of all of our constituents in ways that they can appreciate each day--whether it is a parent who commutes every day and needs safe roads or new public transportation options so they can spend more time with their families, or a young family searching for safe and affordable communities to raise their children, or perhaps a recently laid-off worker who needs help to afford their rent or stay off the street. This bill has real impact on American families that are struggling in these troubling economic times--the hard-working Americans who are not only losing their jobs but also their homes and their financial security.

Six months ago, this Congress passed a recovery package. It is now creating jobs and rebuilding infrastructure and laying a strong foundation for our long-term economic growth. It is a good start. The bill before us now builds on that and strengthens that effort. It makes needed and very serious investments in our transportation infrastructure as well as in housing and services to support our Nation's most vulnerable. It also ensures that the Federal agencies that so many communities count on have the resources they need to keep our commuters safe and keep communities moving and prospering.

Our bill takes a very balanced approach. It addresses the most critical needs we face in both transportation and housing while remaining financially responsible and staying within the constraints of our budget resolution.

I have been very fortunate to be joined by my ranking member, Senator Bond, in crafting this package. Senator Bond's very long service on the Appropriations Committee, as well as his work on the Public Works Committee, has made him one of our leading experts in the areas of both transportation and housing. Throughout his career, Senator Bond has demonstrated tireless leadership and a commitment to the mission of HUD. I couldn't have a better or more experienced partner in this effort, and I want to take a moment of time from the Senate to thank Senator Bond for his years of partnership and for being here with me on the floor this afternoon as we present our bill to the Senate.

This bill provides over $75 billion in budgetary resources for the Department of Transportation to support continued investment in transportation infrastructure, including our bridges and our ports, our public transportation, our airports, our rail, and the Nation's highway system. It provides $11 billion to support and expand public transit, which continues to see record growth in ridership, as well as $1.2 billion to invest in intercity and high-speed rail so that we can expand options for our commuters and ease congestion on our roads and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

It also includes $1.1 billion to continue the highly competitive surface grants program that was initiated earlier this year as part of our recovery package. That program, which provides matching funds to projects making a significant impact on communities and regions, generated tremendous interest from our State and local authorities.

The bill also supports the FAA's efforts to develop its next generation air transportation system to support projected growth in air travel in the coming year, and it invests $3.5 billion in capital improvements at all of our airports across the country.

This bill also includes targeted increases to address critical problems with our transportation safety. It has an increase above the President's budget to hire 236 more air safety inspectors and 50 more air traffic controllers.

At present, our FAA inspectors cannot spend enough time out in the field directly observing air carrier operations firsthand. These new positions that are in this bill will help correct that problem and improve FAA oversight.

The bill also includes $50 million for a new program in railroad safety technology, including Positive Train Control, as well as $150 million for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to make sure tragedies like the one we saw earlier this summer never happen again.

In addition to those important investments in transportation, the bill we now have before us represents a very firm commitment to providing critical housing and support services to families who have been affected by this economic crisis. This bill provides nearly $46 billion in budgetary resources for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, including $100 million for HUD's housing counseling program to help our families in this country make responsible decisions when they purchase a home, to help them avoid the scams and aggressive lending tactics we have seen, and to help families facing foreclosure stay in their homes.

These funds are going to be an important tool in our efforts to counter foreclosures. This counseling will help us avoid problems in the future by preparing homeowners for the changing housing market.

The bill also provides more than $18 billion for tenant-based rental assistance or section 8, including an increase of over $1 billion for the renewal of section 8 vouchers. The bill also provides an increased funding for the operation of public housing for a total level of $4.75 billion. These funds will help ensure our Nation's low-income families, who are always among the hardest hit during tough economic times, continue to have access to safe and affordable housing.

Senator Bond and I are particularly proud that this bill includes $5 million for vouchers for the joint HUD-Veterans Affairs supportive housing program. That will provide an additional 10,000 homeless veterans and their families with housing and supportive services.

While this program has helped contribute to an overall reduction in homelessness among our veterans, we have seen disturbing increases over the past several years in the number of homeless female veterans, many of whom have children. To me, that is unacceptable. So the new funding in this bill will provide help to make sure those who have already given so much to their country through their military service are now not forced to live on the street.

In addition to supporting our Nation's heroes, this bill also addresses the needs of some of our most vulnerable citizens by providing increased funding to support housing for the elderly, disabled, those suffering from AIDS, youth who are aging out of our foster care, and the Nation's homeless.

The bill also focuses on strengthening communities at a time when the economy threatens programs that are at the backbone of many of our towns and cities. We provide almost $4 billion for the Community Development Block Grant Program. That will help support investments in public infrastructure, housing rehabilitation, construction, and public services. That is assistance that is very critical to our States and our local governments right now.

The bill also supports innovative approaches to revitalize the Nation's public housing. The new Choice Neighborhoods Program included in this bill builds on the success of HOPE VI, for which my colleagues, Senator Bond and Senator Mikulski, deserve a great deal of credit.

In summary, this bill provides assistance to those who need it most, and it directs resources in a responsible and fiscally prudent way. It is a bill that truly addresses the needs of families in every region of this country. These are families who are looking for us at the Federal level to step up and provide solutions to everything from congestion to transportation safety to foreclosures to affordable housing. That is why it is a bill that has attracted widespread bipartisan support. It helps commuters, homeowners, the most vulnerable in our society, and our economy, so I urge all Senators to support this bill, and I urge them to help us move it rapidly to final passage.

Again, I ask our colleagues, if you have an amendment please get it to the
floor this afternoon, get it filed and help us bring it up so we can move this bill along, get to conference with the House, and get this bill to the President so these investments can truly help our families.

I thank my colleagues and yield the floor to my partner, Senator Bond.

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