Committee Approves FY25 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act

July 10, 2024
Press Release

Washington, D.C. – Today, the House Appropriations Committee met to consider the Fiscal Year 2025 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The measure was approved by the Committee with a vote of 31 to 26.

THUD Subcommittee Chairman Steve Womack

Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee Chairman Steve Womack (R-AR) said, “With both targeted investments and targeted cuts, the Fiscal Year 2025 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill carefully allocates resources to the most critical missions at DOT and HUD while meeting our responsibility to rein in spending with a reduction of $7 billion below Fiscal Year 2024. The bill prioritizes the safety of all modes of transportation from our railways to roads and airways. We ensure a responsible safety net with housing support for our most vulnerable citizens. This bill includes numerous wins for communities across the nation, including Arkansas’ Third District. I’m pleased the bill passed the full committee today, and I look forward to getting it across the finish line. Thank you to my dear friend Chairman Cole for his leadership in this process.”

Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) said, “To herald the nation into the America of the future, we need to build smarter, move faster, and push the boundaries of ingenuity. This just-advanced bill reflects those points. Whether on a highway or airport runway, the strength of our transit systems, flow of freight, and safety of the traveling public are prioritized. Safety net resources to help vulnerable populations, including veterans and the elderly, are maintained. Responsible community investments support local decision-making, and we protect taxpayers from the Administration’s burdensome overreach. Chairman Womack’s leadership and experience as a mayor led to a measure dedicated to fiscal discipline and effective policy.”

Subcommittee Chairman Womack’s opening remarks are available here.

Chairman Cole's opening remarks are available here.

Fiscal Year 2025 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act

The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act provides a total discretionary allocation of $90.400 billion, which is $7.084 billion (7.3%) below the Fiscal Year 2024 enacted level.

The bill provides a non-defense discretionary total of $90.022 billion and a defense discretionary total of $378 million.

This bill prioritizes highway, railway, and aviation safety while maintaining housing assistance for our nation’s most vulnerable.

Key Takeaways

  • Bolsters our national security by:
    • Responsibly funding DOT’s modal administration to ensure our world-class transportation system is safe and efficient.
    • Countering Chinese influence in autonomous vehicle manufacturing.
    • Funding the authorized levels for national strategic sealift operations, including doubling the number of tanker ships.
  • Focuses the Executive Branch on its core responsibilities by:
    • Reducing funding by $2.981 billion across 14 grant programs:
      • Reducing funding for the Department of Transportation (DOT) grant programs by $2.044 billion, which is 36% below the FY24 enacted level.
      • Reducing funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant programs by $937 million, which is 44% below the FY24 enacted level.
    • Rejecting the Administration’s request to increase wasteful climate and equity initiatives. 
    • Eliminating over $430 million in unauthorized Biden Administration initiatives, including:
      • $25 million DOT Thriving Communities, a “Justice40”-related program.
      • $50 million for HUD Green New Deal public housing.
      • $140 million HUD Choice Neighborhoods program.
      • $100 million HUD Yes in My Backyard (YIMBY) program, which gives bureaucrats in Washington the power to change local zoning laws.
      • $10 million for unnecessary eviction legal assistance grants.
    • Rejecting the Administration’s request for additional programs and initiatives totaling nearly $401 million, including:
      • $10 million to electrify DOT’s federal vehicle fleet.
      • $100 million for the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail.
      • $241 million to expand HUD vouchers.
      • $50 million to resurrect the Build Back Better housing agenda, through the FirstHOME Downpayment Assistance Initiative.
  • Supports American values and principles by:
    • Maintaining housing assistance for vulnerable Americans, including the elderly, disabled, and veterans.
      • Providing full renewal for all currently-leased, tenant-based rental assistance vouchers, all project-based rental assistance contracts, and all housing for the elderly and persons with disabilities contracts; and
      • Responsibly funding homeless assistance grant programs.
    • Prohibiting the DOT and HUD from implementing the Biden Administration’s woke executive orders on equity or implementing equity action plans.
    • Prohibiting the use of funds for training of federal employees or contractors to promote critical race theory or related concepts.
    • Prohibiting implementation of the Administration’s final greenhouse gas emissions rule, which would be especially burdensome for rural states.
    • Prohibiting congestion pricing in the New York City metro area.
    • Prohibiting funds from being used to require inward-facing cameras or require a motor carrier to be enrolled in the Department of Labor’s registered apprenticeship program as conditions for participation in the safe driver apprenticeship pilot program.
    • Prohibiting the enforcement of the electronic logging device rule with respect to commercial motor carriers transporting livestock or insects.
    • Prohibiting federal overreach of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) on America’s truckers by barring requirements for trucks to be equipped with speed limiting devices.
    • Prohibiting states from implementing trucking hours of service requirements that are more stringent than the federal standards.
    • Prohibiting the implementation of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, which would place an undue burden on American manufacturers and consumers and force them into buying an electric vehicle.
    • Prohibiting mask mandates on public transportation to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
    • Prohibiting funds for the failed California High Speed rail project.
    • Preventing implementation of the Administration’s proposed “Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing” rule, which would put a severe regulatory burden on small- and medium-sized municipalities, public housing authorities, and other entities and bury them in developing “Equity Plans.”
    • Preventing funding in violation of current law regarding ineligibility of illegal immigrants for federal housing assistance.
    • Allowing only the American flag and other official flags to be flown at Departments and agencies covered in our bill.
    • Prohibiting funds for unnecessary regulations and controversial climate executive orders.
    • Prohibiting HUD funds to be made available for local sanctuary jurisdictions.
    • Prohibiting funds to be used to discriminate against Americans who support traditional marriage.
    • Banning new commercial flights to the hostile regime of Cuba.
    • Blocking revised energy standards for newly constructed homes financed by HUD that would increase costs in an already constrained housing market.
    • Repealing CARES Act overreach into local housing eviction decisions.

A summary of the bill is available here.

During the markup, Committee Republicans refused amendments offered by the Democrats that would have:

  • Allowed the enforcement of the electronic logging device rule with respect to commercial motor carriers transporting livestock or insects.
  • Allowed funds to be used to require inward-facing cameras or require a motor carrier to be enrolled in the Department of Labor’s registered apprenticeship program as conditions for participation in the safe driver apprenticeship pilot program.
  • Allowed DOT speed limiter regulations on commercial motor vehicles.
  • Provided funding for the failed California High Speed Rail project.
  • Allowed potential reimplementation of COVID-19 mask mandate.
  • Promoted and advanced critical race theory.
  • Funded polarizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
  • Funded the Administration’s wasteful green agenda.
  • Exposed Americans to religious discrimination.
  • Allowed unapproved flags to be flown over federal facilities.

Adopted Amendments

  • Womack #1 (Manager’s Amendment) – Makes technical, bipartisan changes to the bill and report.
    • The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
  • Reschenthaler #1 – Prohibits tolls on Pennsylvania federal highways and bridges.
    • The amendment was adopted by a vote of 34 to 22.
  • Clyde #1 (En Bloc) –  
    • Prohibits social cost of carbon considerations in rulemaking, guidance, or agency actions. 
    • Limits the Department of Transportation Secretary to economy flights on commercial airlines. 
    • Prohibits the Department of Transportation from implementing automated traffic enforcement, including red-light, speed, and stop sign enforcement.
    • The amendment was adopted by a vote of 31 to 25.

Bill text, before adoption of amendments, is available here.

Bill report, before adoption of amendments, is available here.

A table of included Community Project Funding requests is available here.

 

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