Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
I want to thank Chairman Price for presenting the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development bill today.
I would also like to thank my friend, Mario Diaz-Balart, the ranking member of this subcommittee.
This bill supports key transportation infrastructure and safety programs, including highways, rail, and ports.
The funding provided for airport infrastructure and air traffic control will be critical for the aviation industry as it recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.
It is time for our investments in the FAA to provide real benefits to the traveling public, so I am pleased to see that this legislation includes programs that move air traffic modernization forward.
Many of the housing programs in this bill provide a critical safety net to working families, the elderly, and the disabled.
Madam Chair, thank you for yielding.
These spending allocations will increase discretionary spending by hundreds of billions of dollars to an all-time high of $1.5 trillion.
This nearly 9% increase above fiscal year 2021 comes at a time of record-high deficits and debt:
- This month, the national debt reached an astonishing $28.3 trillion.
- In the first 8 months of this fiscal year, we have already borrowed $2.1 trillion.
We must exercise fiscal responsibility and return to reasonable levels of federal spending, now that the pandemic hopefully is nearing an end.
Although these allocations do not show the exact split between defense and non-defense programs, we know the topline is based on the president's budget. Those numbers included an enormous, 17% increase to non-defense programs. At the same time, the president's budget cut defense spending to below inflation.
Thank you, Chairman Price, for holding this hearing today.
I want to welcome the secretary for his first hearing with our Committee.
Mr. Secretary, I know you come to Washington with the perspective of a former mayor. You have said that there are no Democratic or Republican potholes. And, as a former mayor myself, I completely agree with you on that point.
You reached out to me early on, and I look forward to continuing our conversation as we work together to address our nation's transportation infrastructure needs.
This is an area where we in Congress have historically worked together to find common ground so that we can make investments to improve the lives of all Americans.
You will find that this Committee works in a bipartisan way to find practical solutions, and I hope that this approach will continue to guide our work for fiscal year 2022.
WASHINGTON – Today, Appropriations Committee Republicans sent a letter to the Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requesting details on unobligated and unspent funds provided to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter, led by the Republican Leader of the Committee, Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX), comes as the Congress prepares to consider additional legislation.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to begin by congratulating you for taking over the gavel of the Appropriations Committee as we begin our first official meeting of the 117th Congress.
I wish we were all in the same room today to hear the sound of that gavel, but I know you will continue to look for ways for us to meet in person.
Madam Chair, I want to say a few words about you personally. You have served with distinction on Appropriations for many years, and you have already shown you are going to hit the ground running.
WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Kay Granger (TX), Republican Leader of the House Appropriations Committee, announced Republican subcommittee assignments for the 117th Congress.
"We have assembled a strong team that is committed to reviewing the federal budget, conducting oversight of taxpayer dollars, and upholding conservative principles.
"Each Member will be key to advancing Republican priorities, and I am honored to work alongside each of them as we fight for the American people."
WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Kay Granger (TX), Republican Leader of the House Appropriations Committee, announced the Republican Steering Committee's recommendations for subcommittee ranking members and new Republican committee members for the 117th Congress. The recommendations will need to be ratified by the Republican Conference.
