Granger Remarks at FY23 Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Full Committee Markup

Jun 30, 2022
Statements

Thank you, Madam Chair. Before I start, I want to join Mr. Diaz Balart and pause and recognize the subcommittee chair, Mr. Price. I know I speak for all of us when I say we are praying for Chairman Price and his family during this very difficult time.

Chairman Price has also decided to retire after 30 years of serving North Carolina in Congress. Chairman Price has been a dedicated public servant, both as chair of this subcommittee and the Homeland Security Subcommittee. He will certainly be missed, but I wish him all the best, and I know you all do, in his next chapter.

Now to the bill before us. I want to thank the chair and ranking member for their work on the fiscal year 2023 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill. I also want to acknowledge the committee staff for their efforts.

I appreciate that this bill addresses priorities of Members on both sides of the aisle. this includes programs that will keep our roads and airways safe and invest in critical assets like ports, airports, and highways.

Some of the housing investments in the bill will provide crucial support to our most vulnerable citizens. This includes homeless veterans, the elderly, and the disabled.

However, I am deeply concerned by the dramatic funding increases in this bill that expand the reach of the federal government and could add to our record-high inflation.

The funding in the bill for rail and transit is in addition to the hundreds of billions already provided over the last year outside of the appropriations process. This bill gives HUD programs double-digit percentage increases. While I support programs that help our most vulnerable citizens, we cannot afford a dramatic expansion of housing subsidies.

American families are struggling to make ends meet due to record-high inflation, and we must find ways to rein in government spending, so we don’t make the problem worse. As we move forward with this year’s appropriations bills, we must agree to set aside controversial policies, retain language from prior years, and get consensus on topline funding levels.

Once that framework is in place, I am confident that the chairman and ranking member can work to modify this bill so that we can responsibly meet the transportation and housing needs of the American people.

Thank you, Madam Chair, I yield back.