Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies

Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to stand before you as we consider the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies bill for Fiscal Year 2024. I am glad that we are back at work, moving appropriations bills through the House Floor under our new Speaker. We are continuing to fulfill our constitutional duty. I would like to thank Chairwoman Granger, Ranking Member DeLauro, and my partner on this bill, Ranking Member Mike Quigley.

This bill responsibly funds our most critical transportation and housing needs, which will have a positive impact on every congressional district in the country.

At the same time, the bill meets the challenge before us to reduce spending and get our debt under control. The bill reduces spending 25% below Fiscal Year 2023 levels, with a CBO score of $65 billion. We achieve these savings through a rescission of IRS funds and by reducing billions in excessive spending.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify on the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies bill for Fiscal Year 2024.

I would also like to thank Chairwoman Granger, Ranking Member DeLauro, and my partner on this bill, Ranking Member Mike Quigley.

This bill responsibly funds our most critical transportation and housing needs, which will have a positive impact in every congressional district.

At the same time, the bill meets the challenge before us to reduce spending and get our debt under control.

The bill reduces spending 25% below Fiscal Year 2023 levels, with a CBO score of $65 billion. We achieve these savings through a rescission of IRS funds and by reducing billions in excessive spending.

To really compare this bill to last year, we need to be honest about what was in the Fiscal Year 2023 bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5860, a bill that keeps the government open until November 17^th.

While I would rather be here speaking on the floor about final appropriations bills, I want members to understand why passing this short-term funding bill today is so important.

First, I want to explain how we find ourselves in this situation.

Just nine months ago, when Republicans took back the Majority in the House, our commitment was to Regular Order for appropriations.

No more omnibus measures released in the dead of night. No more Christmas Eve votes on thousands of pages of text that Members of Congress had not read.

Unfortunately, there were a few stumbling blocks as we sought to change the process.

For example, the Administration's budget request was more than a month late. It then took months for the President to come to the table on the debt ceiling negotiations.