Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies

Thank you, Chairman Womack, Ranking Members Clyburn and DeLauro, and subcommittee members.

Today’s Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development measure is about building stronger, traveling safer, and supporting American communities.

This bill responsibly and effectively funds critical transportation and housing needs while safeguarding taxpayer dollars.

With targeted investments in surface infrastructure and a meaningful increase to Highway Trust Fund programs, everyone from the traveling public to freight haulers will benefit from more reliable systems and safer travel.

Enhanced resources for FAA facilities and equipment will modernize air traffic control, hire needed controllers, and accelerate the deployment of new technologies. The bill also advances innovation in aircraft certification, drone integration, and automated vehicle development.

The Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies will come to order.

Welcome to the subcommittee markup of the Fiscal Year 2026 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. Welcome Chairman Cole, Ranking Member DeLauro, and Ranking Member Clyburn.

The bill we are considering today meets our Nation’s most critical transportation and housing needs while reducing excessive spending and regulatory burdens.

The discretionary allocation in the bill is $89.9 billion, $4.5 billion below the Fiscal Year 2025 level. This is a 5% reduction in spending, while cutting even deeper to accommodate $3.7 billion in member projects. When accounting for $1.5 billion in fewer housing receipts, actual spending is $6 billion below FY25.

We have carefully allocated resources to the most critical missions at DOT and HUD while implementing significant reforms.

Today, I welcome the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Honorable Scott Turner. Mr. Secretary, thank you for being here to discuss HUD’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget request. I also want to thank you for your visit to Northwest Arkansas in April. It was great to have you on-the-ground to see the impact of HUD programs in my district. 

It is this Committee’s responsibility to complete our work on time. I believe we can achieve this goal, and I am pleased that, under Chairman Cole’s leadership, we have already begun marking up our 12 appropriations bills for FY26. 

At the same time, it is our expectation that the Departments under our jurisdiction spend the funds consistently with the way we appropriate them. We appreciate your partnership as you continue to fully implement the funds Congress made available to HUD for FY25. 

Thank you, Chairman Womack, and thank you Ranking Member Clyburn. Welcome Administrator Rocheleau. Thank you for coming before us today and for your decades of public service. Administrator Rocheleau, as we start the Fiscal Year 2026 process, I am focused on providing effective fiscal support to the FAA. We know you need resources to ensure the safety of our national airspace, support American manufacturers and innovators, and invest in infrastructure that improves the efficiency and reliability of our aviation system. 

Today, we welcome testimony from Chris Rocheleau, Acting Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. Administrator Rocheleau, thank you for joining us today as we review the FAA's budget request for the coming fiscal year.

We've seen air travel rebound since the pandemic, with passenger numbers now consistently exceeding pre-pandemic levels across our aviation system. Aviation remains a critical driver of economic growth. Commercial aviation contributes more than $1 trillion to our economy, and new aviation technologies promise to deliver more opportunities while improving the quality of life for all Americans. I am particularly excited to see how advancements in the aviation sector provide more opportunities in areas of high growth like the third district of Arkansas.