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Welcome to the subcommittee markup of the fiscal year 2013 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies bill. I want to thank our colleagues, especially Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Dicks, for joining us today.
I also want to personally thank Mr. Moran and each of the Members for their active participation and the bipartisan spirit that continues to be a hallmark of our subcommittee's deliberations.
While I know that Mr. Moran, Mr. Dicks, and my Democrat friends will not be able to support this bill in its present form, I want each of you to know how much I sincerely appreciate your positive contributions. My staff and I have made a genuine effort to work with you and your staff.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to offer the THUD bill for Full Committee consideration today. I hope we can be brief. I'd like to thank Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Dicks for your leadership in getting this bill to Full Committee, and, we hope, to the floor in the near future. I think we stand a good chance of being successful in completing House consideration.
Before we get to the bill, I want to congratulate my colleague and the Ranking Member of this subcommittee, John Olver, for his years of service. As many of you know, Mr. Olver is retiring at the end of this Congress, and I have to say, he will be sorely missed by this Committee and all of his colleagues here in the House. This is a better bill because of his relentless quest for knowledge about its programs. He stands out for his kindness and compassion. Thank you, John Olver, for your service not just to this institution, but to the Nation.
This bill does the important work of supporting a vibrant and safe infrastructure, while making the difficult but responsible cuts needed to get our budgets back into balance. This bill continues the thoughtfulness and restraint that have become the hallmark of this Committee over the last several years of budgeting. It prioritizes our nation's most critical transportation programs accordingly, creating an environment that fosters job creation and funds important repairs and improvements, and ensuring access to affordable housing options.
The legislation before us holds the line on federal spending, cutting $3.9 billion from last year's level - totaling $51.6 billion in discretionary funding. While recognizing the ongoing process of a transportation authorization bill, the bill provides needed funding for Federal Highways, the FAA, the FTA, passenger and freight rail, and safety programs.
