▶ 0:23:19If I could have your attention. We'll come to order. Let's talk about the important things first that bind us together. The women's softball team beat the press last night. Congratulations to Debbie Wasserman Schultley, captain of the team. Uh, and anytime Congress kicks the ass of the press, that's something we can celebrate together. Well done, Mr.
▶ 0:23:49So, uh, great effort, uh, last night when it counted and appreciate it very much. So, I call the meeting, uh, the appropriations committee to order. Uh, I'd like to welcome everybody to today's meeting. Today, we'll be marking up our transportation, housing, and urban development and related agencies appropriations measure for fiscal year 2026, followed by energy and water development appropriations measure for fiscal year 2026.
▶ 0:24:17We'll also be considering an updated report on our interim sub allocations which will cover all 12 bills uh as uh which you should all have the information on. Uh as with our previous markup, it's my intention to complete all our work on these measures today. Uh while we'll take uh a recess for floor votes as needed, we'll otherwise be here today until our work is completed both on the the bills and the interim sub allocations.
▶ 0:24:48Before we go on, look, there's going to be a lot of movement back and forth to the floor today. We want to be very respectful uh of all of you. I know some of you will need to be on the floor at certain points. And so, you know, if you have kind of an assigned rotation, we'll hold it. We'll make sure you have a chance to say whatever it is you need to say or make whatever point you uh need to make and and that's perfectly some fine. Uh but we will finish the work today.
▶ 0:25:14Uh so you know again I'm I'm more than happy to stay here as late as any of you. I was here pretty late last night. Uh and in that order I also want to single out and I I think you guys ought to applaud applaud uh Chairman Calbert and ranking member McCullum were here very late last incredibly important bill. Half of what we do financially is in that bill.
▶ 0:25:39Uh and they got us off to a good start and we'll have a robust debate today and we'll we'll see where we uh as they possibly could and I think think they succeeded. So they they brought credit to themselves and credit to this committee. Uh with that we will begin the markup. Our first order of business today is consideration of the transportation, housing, and urban development and related agencies appropriation bill for fiscal year 2026. I will now recognize chairman Wulmarmac to present the bill.
▶ 0:26:09I thank the chairman. Uh administratively on your table uh in the center of your table are jars of some jams and jellies uh courtesy of my office and um of different varieties. If you don't see if you don't see the variety that you covet, let me know and we'll make sure that we uh get that particular flavor to you. Roy and Evelyn Webster were dear friends of mine.
▶ 0:26:37They've both passed on many years ago, but they come from the famous House of Webster in Rogers, Arkansas. And I'm pleased to share some of those delicacies with you here this morning. And in honor of the great victory by the congressional women's softball team, I thought today that I would throw you a softball. That being the transportation and housing and urban development bill. Yeah.
▶ 0:27:06And Stenny, in your case, will make the exception. Uh I want to thank Chairman Cole for um his leadership on this committee. Uh this committee is fulfilling its constitutional duty thanks to your dedication uh Mr. Cole and we are eternally grateful. I want to thank ranking member Delaro for your leadership on this committee and your friendship.
▶ 0:27:32I trust that the day is not far off when we'll work together, negotiate these bills in good faith with the Senate and the White House so we can avoid a catastrophic potential shutdown or a long-term CR that none of us should want to see. To my friend, Ranking Member Clber, thank you for your honest and thoughtful engagement on this subcommittee and for your friendship.
▶ 0:28:01And I want to thank the subcommittee staff for their work on this bill. Doug Drod, Avery Pearson, Andrew Jini, Nathan Silverstein, and Sophie Meyers with the majority, Christina Monroe, Jackie Kilroy, and Norah Fay with the minority. And then off my personal staff, Naomi Walker. Uh your work is uh evident in this bill, and we appreciate it.
▶ 0:28:24The bill we're considering today meets our nation's most critical transportation and housing needs while reducing excessive spending and regulatory burdens. The discretionary allocation in this bill is 89.9 billion 4.5 billion below the fiscal 25 level. This is a 5% reduction in spending. When accounting for a billion a half dollars in fewer housing receipts, actual spending is 6 billion below FY25.
▶ 0:28:53We have carefully allocated resources to the most critical missions at DOT and HUD while implementing significant reforms. The bill prioritizes transportation safety on our railways, roads, and airways. It ensures a responsible safety net with housing support for our most vulnerable. We've eliminated or reduced 38 programs totaling over 7 billion in savings.
▶ 0:29:20We redirect four and a half nearly four and a half billion from lower priority programs funded through the IGA to air traffic control, highways, maritime, and rail. Now, some will argue that this reallocation from the uh IGA will result in lower infrastructure investments, but I would note that the IGA advanced appropriations are fully in the jurisdiction of this committee.
▶ 0:29:48Billions from these lower priority programs remain unobligated. So we are instead investing in programs with a real return on investment from tribal transportation to truck parking to air traffic control The bill provides $5 billion for FAA facilities and equipment, a nearly $2 billion increase over FY25.
▶ 0:30:13This investment builds on the historic funding the FAA received in the big beautiful bill for technology updates and facility improvements that will maintain America's global leadership in We prioritize safety, US competitiveness and investment in American infrastructure by protecting safety related positions and allocating over $4 billion to airport improvement projects.
▶ 0:30:40The bill provides funding to train and hire 2500 new air traffic controllers to backfill the retiring workforce and deploy controllers to those facilities that are underst staffed. This bill provides 63.4 billion for highways and bridges through the highway trust fund. That's a billion3 increase. These resources are directly allocated to state departments of transportation, enabling state and local governments to collaborate on high priority road projects.
▶ 0:31:10The bill provides 925 million for Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and a billion four for the national network through a transfer from the IIGJA Fed State Partnership Program, which under the Biden administration was used to fund wasteful high-speed rail projects. The bill also uses Fed state balances to provide 500 million for consolidated rail infrastructure safety improvements, Chrissy, the Chrissy grant program making an important investment in rail safety.
▶ 0:31:41The bill supports DO's maritime mission with 481 million for strategic seal lift, including a 62 million increase for the maritime security program and 31 million for the tanker security program increases.
▶ 0:31:57We provide 184 million for the US merchant marine academy and 91 million for the state maritimemies including a 32 million uh dollar uh mark to kickstart the 10-year capital improvement plan. The bill meets our responsibility to support our most vulnerable citizens who rely on housing assistance while implementing fiscal discipline.
▶ 0:32:22The bill does not include a proposal by OM to transform rental assistance into a state block grant program. A plan that has not yet been considered by the authorizing committees. I look forward to working with the administration and the authorizers to explore ways to more efficiently provide housing assistance and expand opportunities.
▶ 0:32:45The funds provided in the bill support authorized rental assistance programs at what we believe is a fiscally responsible level of $50 billion for section 8 projectbased rental assistance and programs that serve the elderly and the disabled, roughly equal to the FY25 levels. With the flexibilities provided to HUD, we expect the department to prioritize the 80,000 Veterans Affairs support vouchers that are currently under lease.
▶ 0:33:14The bill provides over 4 billion for homeless assistance grants. That's a 2.6% increase over enacted levels, including a 3.8 billion mark for the continuum of care program. I'm almost finished. And there are other things in this bill that I will call to your attention that uh make it worth your support today. Let me just finish by saying this.
▶ 0:33:42This bill will have a positive impact in every congressional district while meeting our responsibility to reign in spending and reduce regulatory overreach. I want to again thank our chairman, Chairman Cole, for your leadership in moving appropriations forward. This will give us a shot at completing our work without endless continuing resolutions. And with that, Mr. Chairman, I yield the floor. I thank gentlemen very much. I now recognize uh Mr.
▶ 0:34:10Clyin, the ranking member of the subcommittee for remarks on the bill. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, chairman wack referring to each other as my good friend is a phrase we often use in this body, often not seriously, but through common human connections, shared values, and love of country.
▶ 0:34:37When I refer to you, Chairman Wmack, as my good friend, I really do mean it and I thank you for your enlightened leadership and stewardship of this I'd also like to thank Jim Cole, ranking member Delaro, as well as our staffs that you have uh listed, Mr.
▶ 0:34:56chairman headed by Christina Monroe on my side and Doug this rude I believe on your side and much of this is why I regret that I am unable to support this bill Mr. Chairman, throughout this country, the American people are concerned about the cost of living and the economy.
▶ 0:35:24In fact, more than 771,000 people are experiencing homelessness and 75% of low-income renters spend more than half of their income on rent. In my home state of South Carolina, net nearly 70 57,000 low-income households, seniors, people with disabilities, working families count on HUD's rental assistance programs to help make ends meet.
▶ 0:35:55And nearly every district is faced with a housing crisis. I hope that we can agree that housing is a basic human Yet, the bill before us proposes to short change HUD's rental assistance program by more than $5 billion and eliminate all investments for eviction prevention.
▶ 0:36:23This would mean hundreds of thousands of HUD assisted households would face eviction, the majority of whom are elderly, disabled, or families with Given the dire need to lower the cost of living for Americans, this is Despite housing shortage of more than 7 million units, this bill cuts housing construction and preservation programs by 46%.
▶ 0:36:55Nearly half. This bill also gives HUD broad authority to increase rent costs while cutting programs that help put residents on the path to self-sufficiency and wealth building by 31%.
▶ 0:37:13This bill ends grants to 10 HUDcertified housing counseling agencies in South Carolina who each year educate and lead hundreds of homeowners to successful home ownership. Unfortunately, this bill makes it harder for our constituents to find places to live.
▶ 0:37:34The bill before us has largely adopted the president's proposal to further gut fair housing enforcement by cutting fair housing activities by 67%. As many of you know, before I came to this body, I served for over 13 years on two predecessor bank boards uh that are now known today as Bank of America.
▶ 0:38:00I served on the audit committee and I chaired the community reinvestment act committee and I can tell you that we at that bank admitted uh to the atrocities that we visited upon many people by redlining their communities and denying them fair housing. And we have been working in this body to overcome that.
▶ 0:38:26But this bill takes us back to where we were uh back in that period of time. Today, people with disabilities account for 53% of individuals filing discrimination complaints at a time when less than 5% of America's housing is accessible.
▶ 0:38:46And over 60 million Americans have a including a disproportionate share of veterans, seniors, black Americans, and tribal communities. But, Mr. Chairman, the harmful cuts in this bill extend far beyond housing.
▶ 0:39:07This bill also zeros out investments for Amtrak, leaving little or no room for making the necessary infrastructure upgrades for passenger rail. Guts public transit and bus projects, ignores the costly realities of climate change, and takes 4.4 4 billion dollars from the bipartisan infrastructure law to make up for a woefully inadequate
▶ 0:39:39These transportation cuts are particularly shortsighted because they compound the housing and the cost of living crisis. Access to safe, reliable, affordable transit is essential for connecting people to jobs, schools, and healthcare. the very things that help families achieve stability and self-sufficiency.
▶ 0:40:07Now, let's be honest about what's really happening here. Just weeks ago, Republicans passed their big ugly bill, which will increase the deficit by trillions of dollars over the next decade through tax cuts for billionaires and big businesses.
▶ 0:40:27At the same time, in this appropriation process, Republicans claim we must responsibly cut federal spending because of deficit concerns. But their definition of responsible is taking housing away from vulnerable Americans and kicking the can down the road on addressing this country's growing housing shortage, homelessness crisis, and crumbling infrastructure that
▶ 0:40:57will only get bigger and more expensive if we do nothing to to address them. Now, the funding taxes of Rob and Peter to pay Paul have real life If the job of members of this subcommittee to improve the day-to-day lives of Americans, it is our job.
▶ 0:41:21this bill is full of unrealistic gimmicks and will be devastating to many communities throughout the country, especially in my home state of South Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I understand the challenges you face, but I respectfully cannot support a bill that fails to make honest investments to improve daily modernize our rail systems, and address the public housing backlogs
▶ 0:41:52that have plagued our nation for decades. So I plead with my Republican colleagues and friends, let's work together to develop the means and must the courage to do that which is necessary to make America's greatness accessible and affordable for all. Unfortunately, this bill as written fails to meet that goal.
▶ 0:42:19I urge a no vote and yield back the balance of my time. Thank you, Mr. I thank the gentleman. I thank him for his typically thoughtful and gracious remarks. Uh, thank you, Chairman Wulmarmac, and thank you, Ranking Member Klyurn, and Ranking Member Dellor. It's always a pleasure to be with you and work together.
▶ 0:42:38And to all our members, the transportation, housing, and urban development measure before the subcommittee today responsibly funds our most critical transportation and housing needs while demonstrating fiscal responsibility. This measure ensures that our airways, railways, and roads are safe and improves reliability for the traveling public and freight haulers. Substant and freight haulers.
▶ 0:43:01Substantial funding allocated for highways through the highway trust fund also delivers a meaningful increase that strengthens our core infrastructure. I'm particularly pleased with the investments in the Federal Aviation Administration's facilities and equipment. The significant enhancement in these areas will modernize national airspace and hire additional air traffic controllers for underststaffed facilities.
▶ 0:43:26With a clear focus on safety and efficiency, this funding accelerates the deployment of air traffic control technology and infrastructure. Building on the momentum established through the one big beautiful bill. The bill supports American innovation with funding for DOT to certify new aircraft, integrate drones in the airspace, and enable the advancement of automated vehicle technologies.
▶ 0:43:51We're investing meaningfully in freight rail infrastructure improvements, truck parking, and tribal transportation, resources strategically transferred from the infrastructure investment and jobs act to maximize efficiency. Our national defense is also prioritized through strong support for the strategic seal lift programs including the maritime security program alongside continued backing of the US merchant marine academy and the state maritimemies.
▶ 0:44:20We are also building strong communities across America. Our most vulnerable citizens are supported through rental assistant and homelessness resources which will assist millions of elderly, disabled and working poor households. The bill empowers local housing and community development decisionmaking through community development block grants and neighbor work uh neighbor works capacity building activities that leverage private housing investment dollars.
▶ 0:44:48We uphold these vital commitments while delivering substantial savings by eliminating and shifting resources away from partisan priorities and redirecting them toward core infrastructure investments that drive American competitiveness and economic growth. I thank Chairman Wulmarmac and ranking member Klyurn for their hard work on this bill. I believe it reflects a fiscally conservative approach that reduces overall spending while protecting essential services and prioritizing real infrastructure investments.
▶ 0:45:18Well, thank you and I yield back. With that, I now recognize my very good friend, the ranking member of the full committee, Miss Laurel, for her opening remarks on the bill. Thank you very much, Mr. chairman and I want to thank Chairman WAC and ranking member Klyurn. You know, this is an extraordinary committee which I think everyone here is very proud to to serve on and I've had the privilege of serving on the appropriations committee per probably for the last 25 years.
▶ 0:45:46And um I've had the opportunity to work with both sides of the aisle in producing legislation that will help to make a difference in the lives of the American people, which is the goal of what this institution is all about.
▶ 0:46:01And I uh I and I tre treasure the friendships on both sides of the aisle that we can come together and produce legislation that does make that difference in people's lives, gives them an opportunity for the success they deserve because how hardworking they are. So I it's it's um uh I thank you for being here this morning. I thank the staff for the great work staff on both sides of the aisle that make a difference. As I always say, they keep our names on the door.
▶ 0:46:30Um, and I particularly want to say a thank you to Christina Monroe, Jackie Kilroy, and Norah Fay. And with my opening comments, which makes me very um really sad to have to stand up and to oppose this bill, a bill that will make affordable housing and quality transportation options more expensive and out of reach for more Americans.
▶ 0:46:55We are in the middle of a cost of living crisis and housing and transportation are two of the largest expenses for American households. The burden of everyday necessities, rent, mortgage rates, housing prices, home insurance, car insurance has skyrocketed. Americans are desperate for help with housing and transportation costs. But President Trump is not laser focused on the cost of living, which he is actually making worse.
▶ 0:47:24And with this bill, I have to conclude that nor House Republicans, their big ugly bill is handing massive tax breaks to billionaires and the biggest corporations while driving up the costs for middle class families to buy a home and abandoning neighborhoods dev devastated by natural disasters and struggling with historic disinvestment.
▶ 0:47:47And today we are considering another House Republican bill which will raise costs for struggling American families, make it harder for them to get by. Never mind that we have no complete budget. We are holding this markup in a completely unprecedented time as a Congress's authority is being challenged by a lawless administration. Since taking office, President Trump's administration has stolen resources.
▶ 0:48:17appropriated by the Congress, Democrats and Republicans, for programs and services across the federal government, including several in this bill that helped to grow the middle class, protect workers, and support Americans businesses. We cannot continue as the appropriations committee to abdicate the power that we have prescribed by the Constitution abdicate that power of the purse through the executive.
▶ 0:48:46We're looking at grants for nonprofits to fight the scourge of housing discrimination ter terminated meaning that many Americans including people with disabilities will go without safe and sufficient housing. As seniors and families face increased energy costs, this administration is freezing a program that helps make their housing more energy efficient and resilient from natural disasters.
▶ 0:49:10Taxpayer-f funed investments to our repair repair our roads, our bridges, transit systems, and ports that create jobs, boost local economies have been stolen, creating costly delays and risking jobs. All of these programs Congress enacted and appropriated funding for in law. It is the law of the land. They are substituting Congress's decisions and judgments with their own. These cuts affect all of our constituents.
▶ 0:49:38Recently, Neighborworks New Horizons was able to assist one of their residents in fulfilling her dream of purchasing her own home. Jan, a longtime employee of Yale New Haven Hospital, was a Neighbor Works tenant for over 10 years. And when she expressed that she wanted her piece of the American dream, NeighborWorks provided her with counseling services like budget coaching and home buyer education. When she discovered that Neighborworks was building a house down the street from her apartment, she asked if she was qualified to buy it.
▶ 0:50:09Neighborworks helped her navigate the process, connected her to another organization that offered her down payment and closing cost assistance. Neighborworks makes the American dream possible for people who otherwise may not have reached it. And later in this markup, I will offer an amendment to restore funding for the home program, legal assistance grants, housing counseling, and for neighbor works.
▶ 0:50:31But the Trump administration stealing and the bill before us today puts the American dream further out of reach for the working class and the middle class. It makes it more difficult for those struggling to keep a roof over their head to secure and remain in affordable housing. It fails to prevent several hundred,000 evictions across the country by shorting rent payments for public housing by one and a half billion dollars and the section 8 voucher program by three billion.
▶ 0:51:00This bill falls short of providing vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities the safety net they need to stay secure in their homes. Nearly threearters of a million Americans experience homelessness, but this bill short changes homeless assistance grants, which would mean nearly 28,000 fewer people who are currently living on the street will receive the help they need to secure housing.
▶ 0:51:26While housing costs are escalating faster than Americans can keep up, so too are the costs of transportation. New cars, used cars, insurance, all making transportation unaffordable. So, what does the majority's bill do to help? Gut investments in our transit networks that relieve Americans of high transportation costs.
▶ 0:51:45The majority is zeroing out investments for Amtrak, forcing the railroad to dig to dig into the couch cushions in hopes of finding what they need to pay their workers, maintain service, and keep their train system safe. This bill delays rail infrastructure improvements already underway from New York to Norman, Oklahoma.
▶ 0:52:08This bill's evisceration of commuter transportation halts improvements for rail and bus transit everywhere from Miami to Salt Lake City to Columbus to San Antonio and yes to New Haven, Connecticut. Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Yucalo reached out after reviewing the majority's bill. alarmed by the cuts and transfers of funds from the bipartisan infrastructure law.
▶ 0:52:35He said, and I quote, "With over 10 billion dollars in capital needs on the New Haven line, which the state of Connecticut inherited from a bankrupt private railroad that failed to invest for decades, we cannot make these repairs on our own." The TI HUD majority proposal will not only stop progress on improving the Northeast Corridor, but will set us back on our heels just as we have started to see momentum." End quote.
▶ 0:53:05Americans cannot keep up with the cost of housing and transportation. This committee has the power to do something about it, and we should. Unfortunately, this bill, the majority has instead pursued draconian funding levels and a pro- eviction, pro- road congestion uh agenda that will only make household budgets tighter. Cannot support this bill and I yield back. Thank you. Thank the gentle lady for her remarks and her thoughts.
▶ 0:53:35And I would now recognize the captain of our successful softball team. Uh the one the conqueror of the bad news bearsers, the one triple B we all hate. So the gentle lady from Florida, Miss Wasserman Schultz is recognized for remarks on the bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That's absolutely right. We found a BBB that we both all consider our adversary.
▶ 0:54:02Um, I won't say detest, but um, given what is a jarring transition to what I'm about to say, thanks everybody for your support. Um, and thanks to my co- captain, Congresswoman Vice. Um, but I do rise in strong opposition to the bill before us today for one simple It will make life harder for Americans.
▶ 0:54:26At a time when Americans already struggle with the high costs of living, from groceries to rent to gas, this bill makes it even harder for working families to get by. It cuts nearly $6 billion, almost 6% from last year's funding levels, turning its back on the very people and communities we are here to serve. This is not a serious effort to govern, and it has no chance of becoming law. It is an ideological agenda that strips away investments in affordable housing, public transportation, and infrastructure.
▶ 0:54:55Let's talk about what these cuts mean in real life. This bill threatens to push nearly 415,000 lowincome households off of rental assistance or into eviction. Families with children, veterans, people with disabilities. These are people who have done everything right who simply can't afford today's sky-high rents. And now you just tell them you're on your own. This bill also slashes transit system funding that millions of Americans count on to get to work, school, or a doctor.
▶ 0:55:24These cuts will lead to longer commutes, more congestion, fewer routes, and higher costs. It makes life harder. These cuts will slow down our economy and hurt construction workers and small businesses. They allow America to fall farther behind while our key global competitors invest in highspeed rail and modern infrastructure. We should make our housing and transportation systems safer, more efficient, and more affordable. But this bill does the opposite.
▶ 0:55:50It guts housing protections, adds red tape for developers, and guts the very public private investments that keep our economy moving and growing. We should work together to lower costs, strengthen the middle class, and ensure that every family has access to a safe home and a reliable way to get to work. This bill will raise prices, kick families out of their homes, and sabotage the progress that we've made rebuilding America's infrastructure. We can and we must do better. I urge my colleagues to reject this short-sighted bill.
▶ 0:56:20Let's fight for funding for a funding plan that reflects our values, one that invests in our people, empowers our communities, and ensures that no family is left behind just so billionaires can get another tax break. Thank you, and I yield back. I thank the gentle lady for her remarks. I now recognize my good friend from Georgia, Mr. Bishop, for his remarks on the bill. Thank you very much, uh, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 0:56:44Um, thank you, Chairman Wulmarmac and Ranking Member Clyurn for your hard work on this bill. I really wish that I had good things to say about this bill, but we have here yet another victim of the majority slash and burn policy as they continue to hack away at the federal government and the essential services that it provides.
▶ 0:57:11Not only does this bill gut public transit funding, including bus infrastructure investments and transit infrastructure grants, which will lead to service cuts and the loss of thousands of jobs. The majority appears to be proud of the staffing cuts that this bill will direct.
▶ 0:57:30HUD staffing alone will be reduced by an astounding These cuts will all but ensure that the government will become less accessible and far less responsive to the needs of everyday Americans.
▶ 0:57:47With our infrastructure continuing to crumble and with housing costs at an all-time high, no thanks to the Trump administration's unpredictable trade policies, now is not the time to abandon our commitments and leave the public to fend for themselves. I don't think it's a particularly bold statement to say that everyday people rely on the safety, availability, and convenience of transportation and housing.
▶ 0:58:17That's why I'm confused by the majority's strategy of underfunding and establishing barriers to access. The federal government should not act as an obstacle to reliable transportation and reliable housing. But yet, that's what this bill does. It underfunds housing for low-income senior households and people with disabilities. It cuts lead paint remediation efforts.
▶ 0:58:48Who would be opposed to any of these things? The bill eliminates housing counseling assistance for HUD certified housing counselors who provide assistance to working households to achieve the American dream of owning their own home. It also eliminates programs that spur the development of new affordable housing.
▶ 0:59:10Do we want to close the door for the hardworking families who want to take ownership and practice stewardship of a piece of their country? This bill also drastically underfunds our railroads with a 91% cut to the Federal Railroad Administration.
▶ 0:59:30It decimates port infrastructure development and significantly reduces transportation infrastructure spending which will lead to road congestion and I cannot support an appropriations bill that itself does not support the American people.
▶ 0:59:52urge my colleagues across the aisle to join us at the table to craft a reasonable and responsible transportation, housing, and urban development bill instead of going on alone down this political, highly partisan path.
▶ 1:00:13Let's work together to address the real life needs of the American people wherever they are in our nation and whatever their demographic or geographic identity uh they happen to claim. Let's work together for the American people. And with that, I urge no vote on this bill in its present form. And I yield back the balance of my time. I thank the gentleman for his remarks.
▶ 1:00:42Uh we now would recognize distinguished gentle lady from Ohio, Miss Kapl for her remarks on the bill. Thank you. Uh Mr. Chairman and members, I spent most of my life working in the field of housing and community development before being elected to Congress and rise in strong opposition uh to this particular transportation, housing, and urban development bill. Uh it basically cuts nearly $6 billion dollar over last year's uh appropriations for housing and community development.
▶ 1:01:14Uh that's an enormous cut at a time when in places like I represent, the average family cannot afford to buy a home. I don't know how many members would want to raise their hands and recognize that's happening in districts across this country, but it actually is. And what I'm seeing happening in districts like mine is we have more homeless and the mobile home parks that we have are deteriorating to a point where um it doesn't even look like America anymore.
▶ 1:01:45And so the area of housing is critical to the American people. Um, so to cut back at this point where people can't even afford rent, I was with a gentleman the other day and uh he cannot afford $800 a month for rent. He can't. What's he supposed to do? He's 80 75 years old and there isn't any more room in the publicly subsidized housing and what does exist is too expensive for him to move in.
▶ 1:02:16Where does he go? And he's not well. This is not just happening in my district. It's happening across the country. The cuts I and I was I was sitting here and doing a little bit of math. If under the Republican bill which rewarded billionaires, okay, you're adding trillions to the deficit and to the debt, the accumulated debt of the country. Every year those billionaires are going to get $340,000 a year uh in a tax refund. 340,000.
▶ 1:02:47in my district that would house just one billionaire's tax cut for just one year would allow me to house 340 more people in my district over 10 years. That one who wouldn't get he'd get more tax cuts, but he wouldn't get $340,000 more. Just that one person could house 3,400 people in a district like mine. That's pretty darn good.
▶ 1:03:14And so I think some have too much and others can barely survive. Barely survive. And that's happening across our country, not just where I represent, where people believe in work. They want to work. They want to work at a wage that gives them a decent life. And by that I mean food. Laden can't afford a car, but some type of shelter that's decent. And this bill doesn't take us in that direction.
▶ 1:03:44One of the people I represent is a 72year-old retired nursing assistant. 72 years old. She lives in a HUD supported apartment and hasn't had a working elevator for months. Every day she climbs three flight of stairs up and down to buy her groceries, lug them up, do her laundry, and keep her grandkids in tow. The landlord says repairs are delayed because there's no federal funding coming in and this bill will make sure there just isn't any.
▶ 1:04:14Now, that isn't healthy for the country. There are some folks who simply have too much and they don't need more. They really don't. It might actually be better for them if they had to struggle a little bit more so they didn't lose sight of other people that live in this country. And we don't want our neighborhoods to deteriorate, but they are because there isn't enough to support rehabilitation of housing in this bill. And um what a tragedy for our country.
▶ 1:04:44It doesn't meet the moment. The passenger uh rail passenger service issue is extremely important. We are so far behind the rest of the world, it's an embarrassment. If you doubt what I say, just go up to Canada. You can go from one end of the country to the other on really decent rail. We can't do that. And we have 350 million people. We're going up to 500 million folks.
▶ 1:05:07So for your children and grandchildren and great-g grandandchildren, think about the country you're leaving them inadequately prepared to function. Our highways are crowded. We got truck jams all over the middle west part of the country. We can't get more rail in order to haul all these containers and so forth.
▶ 1:05:26We can't get a um sea, land, rail configuration to relieve all of the stress on our streets because the federal government is under investing in transportation which this bill also also does. So I just say this is a wakeup call. I'm not going to support this bill because I know America can do a whole lot better than we're doing in this bill. I feel sorry for us as a country and I hope that enough people wake up to say, you know what, we can do better than this.
▶ 1:05:57We can create a better way of life for our people and that starts with where they live and the kind of transportation systems they can have to get to work in the new America. Thank you and I yield back. Thank the gentle lady. The gentle lady from Illinois, Miss Underwood, is recognized for her remarks on the bill.
▶ 1:06:31Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I rise today in strong opposition to the fiscal year 2026 transportation, housing, and urban development appropriations bill. Families in Northern Illinois are in a cost of living crisis. The price of rent is through the roof. Actually buying a home feels more out of reach than ever. And working people are paying more and waiting longer to get work and back home every day.
▶ 1:06:57We heard Republicans talk endlessly about inflation and the cost of living before the election. But what have they done since? Nothing to lower costs, nothing to help families, nothing to make housing more affordable or transit more reliable. Instead, they pushed through their big ugly bill, which gives tax breaks to the same corporations and private equity firms that are driving up the cost of housing and construction.
▶ 1:07:21And now, the bill before us today continues the Republican agenda of stealing from the poor to give to the rich. The bill cuts nearly $1 billion from effective databacked housing programs. While rents skyrocket, Republicans are gutting the very programs that help the lowest income families keep a roof over their heads and pushing more families into homelessness. These policies don't just ignore the housing crisis, they're fueling it.
▶ 1:07:48This bill also includes more poison pills that once again do nothing to help families in Northern Illinois. This bill includes language to block HUD from building energy efficient housing. It also strips away basic protections for tenants, making it easier for families to be evicted in violation of their rights. And the transportation cuts in this bill are just as harmful. Families in my district rely on Metra every day to get to work, pick up their kids, and get downtown without sitting in hours of traffic.
▶ 1:08:19Yet, the bill we're debating today cuts federal funding programs that Metro uses to improve service capacity and reliability by 98%. This means slower trains, longer wait times, worse service, more traffic on our roads, and more pollution for everyone. Guys, this is so terrible. Republicans are also slashing Amtrak, another essential service for Illinois families, especially in rural towns like Menota, where Amtrak is a lifeline.
▶ 1:08:49These communities will be hit the hardest. But once again, the Republican answer to popular government services is cut it, dismantle it, give it away to big corporations who will charge us more. Republicans will tell you this is about cutting waste. But the truth is, this is about taking resources away from working families so that they can hand the reigns to their billionaire friends who want to keep making money off of public services.
▶ 1:09:14Families in my district and across the country deserve safe, affordable housing and reliable, efficient public transportation. They deserve a government that will show up for them, not one that guts the programs that they rely on. With this bill, Republicans are once again failing to address the cost of living crisis that is crushing families in Northern Illinois. I urge my colleagues to reject this cruel, outofouch bill, and I yield Thank the gentle lady.
▶ 1:09:43The gentle lady from New Jersey, Miss Watson Coleman, is recognized for her remarks on the bill. right, we'll move to the gentleman from California, Mr. Aglar is recognized for his remarks on the bill.
▶ 1:10:13Uh, ranking member Deloro. Uh, Mr. Chairman, subcommittee chairman is as a member of the committee uh I rise today to oppose the bill. This was a missed opportunity to have a bipartisan way to address the cost of living crisis, the housing crisis, and programs that help working people live and work in the communities that they were raised in.
▶ 1:10:36But instead, we're making it harder for families to buy a home, harder for families to get ahead, and harder for families like the one I represent to thrive. We have already seen this administration fail to treat the housing crisis with the urgency that it requires. In fact, they're only making it worse. One of my constituents, Wendy Alvarez, came to my office when she was told her housing voucher was going to be discontinued.
▶ 1:11:03We learned that because of the reckless cuts from the Trump administration, the San Bernardino Housing Authority has to end its emergency housing voucher program because of lack of federal funding. This is not the only example in my community. Leslanne Heath Coat Mallaloy owned a home for 20 years, fell on hard times during COVID, and ended up homeless for six months in the middle of the pandemic.
▶ 1:11:28She learned this week that her housing voucher is going to end and she's scared at what the future holds or whether she's going to be homeless again. This is a direct result of the cuts of the Trump administration uh imposing and this bill does nothing to restore important funding to help people stay in their homes. I know these stories are happening in other communities and it's our responsibility to fight back.
▶ 1:11:54These this bill cuts more than a billion dollars of affordable housing at a time when families are struggling to pay rent and buy a home. Instead of eliminating funding for the home investment partnership program, we should be making it easier to build homes, lower costs, and give people more opportunity for affordable housing or rent. I don't think this committee wants to get rid of one of the most effective tools we have to help low-income and workingclass families.
▶ 1:12:22This committee should be working to make sure that our federal dollars are going to lift up families in the communities they live and work in. And there are a lot of people in my community who want to see the Olympics and the World Cup be successful. There's nothing more patriotic than cheering on our fellow Americans at the World Cup and celebrating the stories of incredible Olympic athletes. We should not be playing politics with something so important.
▶ 1:12:49Our number one focus should be showcasing American prosperity and ingenuity. And let's be clear, if we fail to make the necessary transit investments, we're going to make the we're going to make those events less safe. We're going to make our community members who visit those events less safe. These events are going to highlight the best of America, create thousands of jobs, and bring billions of dollars of revenue to our communities. We should do our part so we can make sure that they're successful.
▶ 1:13:20We can make improvements to this bill. Mr. Chairman, I know that my colleagues want to join me uh in offering amendments and I hope that we can make this a better funding bill. I appreciate the chairman and the ranking member for allowing a wholesome debate on these important issues and I urge my colleagues to roll up our sleeves and to work in a good faith manner to make this bill better. Yield back, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. I thank the gentleman for his remarks.
▶ 1:13:47The chair recognized a gentle lady from New Jersey, Miss Watson Coleman, for her remarks on the bill. I dropped a mic prematurely. Thank you, Chairman Wack and Ranking Member Clyurn. I rise today in strong opposition to this bill. The cuts in this bill are not just about the line items, but they're about lives.
▶ 1:14:13This is about Americans getting to work, staying housed, and creating opportunity. Unfortunately, this bill slashes those lifelines. It cuts nearly $6 billion to these departments while rising housing costs and infrastructure needs grow day by day. This bill threatens to push nearly 415,000 lowincome households off of assistance and into eviction.
▶ 1:14:41It cuts section H vouchers by over $770 million, leaving us three leaving it $3 billion short of what's needed. It cuts public housing by 17%, which would endanger $230,000 households and leaves section 9 housing with a $500 million shortfall, risking an additional $45,000 45,000 households.
▶ 1:15:10It underfunds homelessness assistance grants by 150 million while there are people in this country experiencing homelessness. It eliminates legal aid for those facing eviction despite the 18% rise in homelessness. It eliminates the home program which will halt the construction of 45,000 new affordable homes in 2026.
▶ 1:15:36It eliminates the pro-ousing program which helps local governments fund locally driven solutions to expand affordable housing and transit oriented development. It cuts fair housing enforcement by 67%. Turning our turning our backs on civil rights laws and protecting home choice.
▶ 1:15:56There is also a slew of harmful policy writers ranging from eliminating the 30-day eviction notice to granting HUD waiver powers to impose work requirements and site set rent hikes. When I questioned the HUD secretary, Scott Turner a couple of weeks ago, I questioned him on a lot of these programs, but he could not offer many specific details on their plans.
▶ 1:16:23So, I am skeptical of a provision in this bill that would give the secretary expansive authority to micromanage how assistance programs are applied. I think that a responsible use of this kind of authority would require an indepth understanding of these programs. But based on the testimony before this committee, I have a really hard time believing that the secretary is fully read into these details. This isn't the kind of paradigm shift that I can get behind.
▶ 1:16:53Furthermore, this bill pulls the rug out from under renters and working families and the communities in which they live. It does nothing to lower costs. It simply shifts the burden to the most vulnerable at at the uh benefit of the re greedy and the very rich. I urge my colleagues, let's stop balancing the budget on the backs of seniors, lowincome families, and the disabled on behalf of billionaires who don't need a thing from us.
▶ 1:17:23We can and we must do better. I thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I yield Thank the gentle lady for remarks. The gentle lady from Pennsylvania, Miss Dean's recognized for her remarks on the the chairman and the ranking members. Uh, and it's good to be with all of you today. However, I do rise in opposition to this appropriations bill and I'm disappointed to have to do that.
▶ 1:17:53I too thought this would be an opportunity, an opportunity to address the high cost of living across this country, which so many people are suffering under h and which so many of our constituents call to our attention every single day. We've heard from many of my Democratic colleagues about the breadth of these cuts to housing programs.
▶ 1:18:11So, I thought I'd take a moment just to tell you a little bit about how some of these vital funds that are under attacked by this administration and sadly by our own colleagues here are used in my community. Let's talk about homelessness. My community, it's suburban Philadelphia, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and Burks County, Pennsylvania, like many communities across this country, has seen a devastating spike in homelessness.
▶ 1:18:38Homelessness among seniors in particular uh over the last few years due to the rise in rents uh and enduring economic impacts of the pandemic, the rising cost of living, the unaffordability of housing. Last year, the number of people suffering homelessness in my area increased by 14%. Yet, we have a fantastic initiative.
▶ 1:19:02It's called Your Way Home, which brings together relevant stakeholders to address and prevent homelessness in Montgomery County. And the results have been extraordinary. In Your Way Home leveraged $777,000 in federal funds to serve nearly 500, excuse me, 5,000 people, including 142 veterans.
▶ 1:19:27Of those served by Your Way Home in the last couple of years, 83% have retained housing and have not returned to homelessness. 41% have completed programs with increased income. This year, the program was awarded $5 million, money that is clearly needed to address the continuing rise in homelessness in my area. Yet, the Trump administration froze that funding. Thankfully, due to legal action and lawsuits, the funds were unfrozen.
▶ 1:19:58But we are not out of the woods, and we fear more freezing of funds. And while this bill may preserve programs that serve those who are already homeless, it is devastating for programs that are meant to prevent homelessness from happening in the first place.
▶ 1:20:14As part of Your Way Home, there is an eviction prevention and intervention coalition, EPIC, a program designed to stabilize vulnerable families and people in Montgomery County who are facing eviction uh by providing them with free legal and social services on the day of their eviction hearing.
▶ 1:20:34In the second half of 2024, Epic served 365 people, preventing 149 evictions and distributing $540,000 in rental assistance. And we know that it is far more coste effective to prevent homelessness from happening in the first place. Yet, this bill is not sufficient to keep those vital programs in place. This bill cuts section 8 voucher programs, also known as emergency housing vouchers.
▶ 1:21:03This is a $3 billion below. This is $3 billion below what is needed to prevent the eviction of nearly 140,000 very low and extremely lowincome households nationwide after taking into account funding shortfalls in the fiscal year of 2025, the rising cost of housing and inflation. In Pennsylvania, there are currently about 1,500 households that rely on this program. it would be catastrophic for them to lose these vouchers.
▶ 1:21:34The Center on Budget uh priorities estimates that it would result in 14% increase in homelessness for the state. Further, this bill would strike all investments for legal assistance action prevention. There's so much more to talk about in this bill. Uh and I will take the time at another time, but in the meantime, I ask all of us, couldn't we rethink this?
▶ 1:21:58Don't we know that our voters, our constituents are concerned about homelessness uh and the high cost of housing? Uh and Mr. Chairman, I yield back. Thank Lady. The gentleman from California, Mr. Lean, is recognized for his remarks on the bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, uh, Ranking Member Deloro. Uh, I am grateful that this bill includes funding for several projects in my congressional district.
▶ 1:22:26Uh, but I am disappointed that I still cannot support this bill as written. For one, the bill completely zeros out funding for the federal state partnership for inner city passenger rail grant program. For those that don't know, this grant program helps repair and replace the rail infrastructure to improve reliability for pastors who depend on these services all across the country.
▶ 1:22:48In my district in Southern California, we rely heavily on the Losan corridor, the second busiest inner city passenger rail corridor in the country. The Losan corridor links the cities of Los Angeles, San Diego, and St. Louis Abyispo, and connects my constituents to the rest of the country. The corridor moves over 4 million pastors per year, many of whom are daily commuters. And it's not just people. Over $1 billion in freight is moved each year through the Losan corridor.
▶ 1:23:18Loan's also also essential for national security. It's part of the Defense Department strategic rail corridor network, better known as Stranet. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in my district relies on the Los San Rail Corridor for essential shipments and military readiness. If an emergency strikes, the low sand corridor is required required to be able to move our troops and military equipment at a moment's notice.
▶ 1:23:44But between erosion eating away at the ground beneath miles of tracks and landslides, closing down segments of the service entirely at times, the reliability of low sand is in jeopardy without the funding options it needs. Despite all those that rely on inner city rail service, this bill completely eliminates funding for this program. Without this funding, the low sand corridor and rail corridors all across the country will struggle to be able to serve the needs of all who rely on them.
▶ 1:24:12I'm also concerned that this bill fails to address one of the biggest issues facing our communities, and that's homelessness. This bill fails to increase voucher funding to keep up with the rising cost of housing and This will mean that that communities like San Diego and Orange County, where I represent, won't have the funding they need to keep families with vouchers in their homes, and families with vouchers won't be able to find the housing that they can afford.
▶ 1:24:38I was especially shocked to see insufficient increases in elder and disabled housing voucher funding. In San Diego, the elderly are the fastest growing homeless population, and this bill will impact who we are able to serve. It's just unacceptable. On top of that, the bill codifies this administration's Doge cuts to HUD staff, making it harder to administer the programs that so many rely on.
▶ 1:25:01Does nothing to honor the department's commitment to two-year funding for our continuums of care, which give our local agencies time to focus on ending homelessness rather than reapplying for funding every single year. And this bill gives broad authority to the secretary to make any changes he wants to program requirements, including voucher time limits, paperwork requirements, and increased rent for low-income families.
▶ 1:25:25You know, in markup after markup, I and others have called out how our committee is giving up its power to the administration and specifically to the Office of Management and Budget. And I know we all agree because I see it on a plaque up there. Article one, section 9, clause se seven, no money shall be drawn from the treasury but in consequence of appropriations made by law. Happy to see that plaque back up there. Mr.
▶ 1:25:48Chairman, I know we all agree that we have a constitutional responsibility, not an option, but a responsibility to protect Congress's spending authority as a co-equal branch of government. As written, this legislation does not live up to that responsibility. Thank you, and I yield back. I thank the gentleman. I can't take credit for the plaque, but whoever did it, thank you very much. Uh, it's a very appropriate thing to do. Uh, with that, the gentleman from New York, Mr.
▶ 1:26:18Espiad is recognized for his remarks on the Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Ranking member, uh, I arise in strong opposition to this bill. It will make, uh, housing less It ignores the realities of inflation.
▶ 1:26:39It flat funds and cuts crucial housing programs like section 8 uh public housing and housing for the elderly for seniors. As a member of one of the districts with with the largest number of public housing units in the country, these cuts would greatly impact the majority of my district.
▶ 1:27:00The New York City Housing Authority, which has a backlog of $80 billion for repair for capital repairs, relies on federal funding to ensure that they are able to offer clean and safe units for families. This will eliminate any repairs, let's say, for elevators. Some seniors live on top floors on the 20th floor, 30th floor, and they need to have access to the ground floor.
▶ 1:27:29The only way to get down if you're have mobility issues is through the elevator. So this funding, capital funding for NICHA will help repair elevators, boilers, so you can have heat and hot water, rooftops to eliminate uh by pointing uh the building and repairing the rooftop, the envelope of the building, you'll be able to eliminate mold, leaks, and even lead paint in some of those apartments.
▶ 1:27:58So lacking the funds for this will hurt the families that live in in New York City Housing Authority. The more than 70,000 voucher holders in my district will be at risk of losing their housing because this bill does not fund section 8 in a way that keeps up with inflation and the rising cost of housing.
▶ 1:28:21So in addition to the capital repairs that are critical to the quality of life of these families, particularly seniors, you now have cuts to section 8 and families that are the neediest.
▶ 1:28:34Now I we spoke to the uh secretary of HUD and he agreed and he admitted that we are facing an unprecedented homelessness crisis and that in fact we also have an affordable housing emergency. And he agreed that the rent is too damn high. And yet what the White House is proposing is to cut HUD by over 50%.
▶ 1:29:04And here we go again, applying additional cuts that will further hurt a working family. This bill comes at a time when homelessness is at an all-time high. In New York City, one out of eight kids, 146,000 kids in the New York City public school system are homeless. Many are in shelters and even doubling up and are living with friends and extended family. Mr.
▶ 1:29:34Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to submit the article entitled One in eight New York City students experienced homelessness last year, a record high into the record. Without objection. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:29:48I will go on and say that this is uh a bill that should be opposed as it uh puts the homelessness crisis, the affordable uh uh affordable housing emergency and the high rents in in steroids. Instead of funding ways to address this issue, this bill will eliminate funding for the inter agency commission on homelessness and underfund the McKini Vento program.
▶ 1:30:18This bill is not serious as it's not a serious attempt at addressing America's housing crisis. While House Republicans continue to introduce bills that contain irrelevant writers and harm their own communities, the Senate Republicans just passed a recession bill that greatly diminishes Congress power of the purse.
▶ 1:30:43They have proved time and time again that they are unserious about this process and I urge my colleagues to vote against this horrible bill and I yield Thank the gentleman. Gentleman from Indiana, Mr. Morvan is recognized for his remarks on the bill.
▶ 1:31:04All ranking member Deloro, Chairman Warmarmac, and Ranking Member Klyber for the opportunity to speak on the fiscal year 26 transportation, housing, and urban development appropriations bill. I proudly stand with my colleagues in strong opposition to this bill. These reckless cuts threaten affordable housing opportunities at a time when hardworking American families need the most.
▶ 1:31:24Instead of easing the burdens of rising housing costs, the bill strips vital resources from seniors, veterans, and working families, making the American dream harder to reach in Northwest Indiana and across the nation. Eliminating home funding directly harms Indiana's first district, where it has helped build housing for working families and veterans. Cutting this essential program only deepens the housing crisis rather than solving it.
▶ 1:31:49We owe it to our communities and our country to protect these investments and uphold the promise of the opportunity for all. This bill puts vulnerable neighbors in greater risk. Cutting 770 million from the section 8 housing vouchers would increase evictions in Indiana and across the nation at a time when rising rent and limited housing options. Slashing legal aid and fair housing funds only makes it harder for working families to keep a roof over their heads.
▶ 1:32:17Further, this legislation would make housing less accessible and less safe for most vulnerable communities by cutting public housing funding by 17%. The bill would severely impact the ability of public housing agencies, including those in Gary, Hammond, and Michigan City, to ensure safe and affordable housing.
▶ 1:32:34On the transportation side, I am grateful that the bill continues to fund important grant programs like build, which provides critical dollars for local and regional infrastructure and Chris Chrissy, which supports improvements on freight and inner city However, I am concerned about the practice of using bipartisan infrastructure law money as replacement for annual appropriations.
▶ 1:32:57advanced fundings through the bipartisan infrastructure law was meant to provide certainty for long-term projects and put people to work and improve our roads, bridges, rail, and rail networks. Undercutting these dollars will only elongate project timelines and increase costs, especially as we approach the next cycle cycle in surface transportation reauthoriz reauthorization. We must maintain a healthy pipeline of funding to ensure that our ongo on ongoing projects to modernize our transportation networks continue.
▶ 1:33:26I came to Congress to help improve the lives of my constituents, to bring down the cost of living for hardworking families, and to provide assistance to the most vulnerable populations among us, and to improve the standard of life in our communities. This bill will not make these lives better, but will rather exap exasperate challenges for those already experiencing hardship. I encourage my colleagues to oppose this bill as written, and I work in a bipartisan basis to make the needed improvements. I yield back. I thank the gentleman for his comments.
▶ 1:33:55Are there any other members wishing to make general comments about the bill? The gentle lady from Washington is recognized for her remarks on the bill. I'm going to Thank you, chairman. I'm going to take a a page out of the esteemed uh James Klyber playbook here and explain why I care so much about roads and bridges. Um going back to Rome and pre- Rome, there was an understanding that an ability of a of a nation to physically reach each other is its lifeblood.
▶ 1:34:23Um, it used to be in this country that you could pay your taxes by loaning a mule to a road building project. Um, by providing aggregate, by working it yourself. And this manifest relationship of the things that we own and a respect for the skill it takes to do that is good for our country. It's good for an exercise to say that we the way that we build things matters. It is a reflection of who we are as a people.
▶ 1:34:47Um, and to be honest, I had hoped that with I I'd maybe naively presumed that like with a trifecta on the other side, there might be a bit of a reunder invigoration of what it is that that we want and how we get there. Um, of of the regulatory reform that a affirms the agency to building. I was talking to one of the port operators.
▶ 1:35:10Um they told me that the cost of building their port 40% of that was within the permitting um and addressing the reasons that we have been diverse from agency in making the things that we rely on um are are are difficult. I I I uh my my community we have a bridge that's 107 years old the I5 bridge and when you cross that bridge you'll see a quote from John Ruskin.
▶ 1:35:36Um John Ruskin said, "When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight, nor for present use alone. Let us make such work as our descendants will thank us for. Let us think as we lay stone on stone that a time is to come when those stones will be held sacred because our hands have touched them and that men will see as they look upon the labor and rot substance of them.
▶ 1:36:03See this our fathers did for us and a material respect for our infrastructure for the skill and the and the cultural knowledge it takes to build things that last a correct ordering. I you know I bet that I could get about 20% of my constituents to say that housing itself is a human right. I bet I could get 80 90% to say that the right to build a house is a human right. The right to have those skills, the right to be able to affir like to exercise the permits.
▶ 1:36:32You look at the cost and the timeline to get a permit to build a home in one county. Um my home county it might be $3,000 and and maybe six weeks. uh the neighboring county, you're looking at $30,000 and six months. um that divorce um from agency, the the the regulatory and permitting reform, um the procedural reform.
▶ 1:36:55I I hope that we can work together to address why it's gotten so difficult to agree on what we consider to be the good life, to have a discussion of what the good life is, to pursue it, and start to unwind the red tape and and the layers of clipboards that divorce us from building what we what we commonly hold as the good life in this nation. and with that, I will yield back. I thank the gentle lady.
▶ 1:37:26Are there any other members wishing to make general comments about the bill? Oh, gentleman from New York. Mr. Melli is recognized for general remarks about the bill. Thanks so much, Mr. uh chairman.
▶ 1:37:41Um, and to all my colleagues, uh, two weeks after, uh, this House has passed a bill that will add $4 trillion to the national debt so we can give tax breaks to billionaires, we're now considering a bill that not only cuts entire programs dedicated to housing affordability, but also pulls the rug out from under working families trying to stay afloat. We're at a critical moment for working families across the country. The cost of living continues to rise. Rent is out of reach.
▶ 1:38:10And home ownership feels like an impossible dream. Instead of investing in homes, transit, and opportunity, uh my friends across the aisle and the president continue to pull resources away from workingclass individuals to further consolidate more wealth and more power into the hands of the wealthiest Americans. The bill eliminates the only federal program we have to build affordable housing. It eliminates housing counseling that helps people become firsttime home buyers and to build multigenerational wealth.
▶ 1:38:39It eliminates eviction prevention services even as homelessness and housing instability continues to rise inexplicably pulls the funding away from those eviction efforts. We should be expanding opportunity, not taking it away. We should be helping families pursue the American dream, put down roots, um investing in the future. uh we should not be walking away from them because at the heart of all this is a simple truth.
▶ 1:39:05Everyone deserves a fair shot at the American dream, a safe place to live, a reliable way to get to work, and the dignity of building a life with stability and hope. Uh it's the promise grounded in the ideals of our preamble, fairness, opportunity, and a government that works for all. Uh and I'm going to keep fighting for a budget that reflects that promise, a budget that works for all the families of America, not just the wealthy few. With that, Mr. Chair, I yield back. Thank the gentleman. Uh are there any other members wishing to make general comments about the bill?
▶ 1:39:36Seeing none, the chair uh would rec recognize Miss McCullum for the purposes of amendment and frankly so that she and Mr. Calbertt once we're done with this process are free to come and go as they need to to attend the important business this committee has on the floor. So with that, I thank my friend and recognize a gentle lady from Minnesota for her amendment. Thank you, Chairman Cole. And um Mr. uh Calbert and I uh do appreciate that. I have an amendment at the desk. I ask the reading to be dispensed with.
▶ 1:40:07Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with. The gentle lady's recognized for remarks on her and to any any suspense that might people might be waiting for. I'm going to be offering and withdrawing this amendment. Um because I want to use it as a point of discussion. I've already talked to the chair a little bit about this. The men and women who work as air traffic controllers, well, they're dedicated to protect the flying public on a daily basis. Their work requires quick and skilled reactions to complex and dangerous situations.
▶ 1:40:36Safety of our airspace is required all day, every day of the year, including holidays. FAA currently has over 14,000 air traffic controllers who work hard to allow the American uh public to travel with the assurance of safety and the speed of travel. These individuals, I want to just say, and I think you'll agree with me, we all fly, are quiet heroes deserving of our recognition, and we need more of them.
▶ 1:41:04I'm sure you've heard from the air traffic controllers in your district and area. There's currently a shortage of 3,000 air traffic controllers, forcing the existing workforce to work six days a week. Six days a week, and mandatory overtime. No choice. It's mandatory. In fact, last year, air traffic controller workforce locked over 2 million overtime hours.
▶ 1:41:29Now, I've heard from the air traffic controllers in my district, in my state, who are feeling the impact of this uh staffing shortage. Mandatory overtime is forcing controllers to spend less time with their families and miss very important events. Controllers are not being given, in my opinion, enough time to rest and recover.
▶ 1:41:48I want to commend Chairman Cole, uh, Chairman Walmack, Ranking Member Klyurn, and others for their attention to air traffic controller shortage, providing funding to train and hire 2,500 new air traffic controllers, and providing support to the AFA, excuse me, the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City in the bill before us today. The Academy in Oklahoma City is the sole academy for training our air traffic controllers.
▶ 1:42:16they are training and receiving uh at this academy is exceptional. I want to be clear, this is the gold standard we need to strive for, but we must do more to solve the air traffic control shortage. The FAA and the FAA Academy should continue to build relationships with other schools like the University of North Dakota and my ad joining state.
▶ 1:42:40They working with standardbearers can help with college preparatory air traffic controller for more classes, more class space, and more graduates. And that's why I'm offering this amendment as a discussion today. It's born out of a conversation I had with Chris and Kelly last fall, two air traffic controllers who keep our skies safe in Minnesota. Chris attended the University of North Dakota where he studied to be an air traffic controller.
▶ 1:43:07Kelly received a liberal arts degree and later fell a call to serve her community as an air traffic controller. They both attended the soul FAA Academy in Oklahoma City where they received exceptional training that has allowed them to excel as air traffic controllers and keep our skies straight.
▶ 1:43:23Having graduated from the colle uh collegiic training initiative program, Chris was not required to attend the first five weeks of training in the academy that was mandatory for people like Kelly who had no background in air traffic control. Now, um I want to just uh state that it's it's a way in which I think we can work together to speed up this pipeline.
▶ 1:43:48Those who receive their air traffic controlling in advanced AFA FAA Academy often have to wait one or two years to get hired as a controller. So they've graduated and then they have to wait some more. In the spring of 2024, the FAA announced the creation of the enhanced collegiic training initiative to address air traffic control shortage and further accelerate the hiring and train new controllers.
▶ 1:44:11This enhanced program will allow graduates of approved colleges and universities to bypass the FAA academy and begin on the job training at the facility as the school will have provided them with the training equivalent that the academy needed. We also have to look at the training that's within our military armed services for accelerated enhancement in getting people in the pipeline to become air traffic controllers.
▶ 1:44:37So, I just want to um I've had a conversation with the chairman to work on this. We need a highle goal standard. There's no fooling around with the type of of training um the acuity, the the mental and physical well-being that these people have to have going into the jobs. But we have a shortage and with ma the mandatory overtime and talking to air traffic controllers with what's happening, some of them are looking at retiring early.
▶ 1:45:04And so I look to working with uh the chairman and uh once again uh congratulate uh the 14,000 air traffic controllers who ensure the safety of the 2.9 million daily passengers. 2.9 million daily passengers who travel through our airspace. We can do better uh staying with a gold standard like been developed at the University of Oklahoma, but we have to do better faster. With that, Mr.
▶ 1:45:29Chair, I look forward to working with you and I yield chair recognizes himself to respond to the gentle lady's amendment. Number one, I appreciate the gentle lady. She certainly has my commitment to work with her uh on this. Uh number two, I just note for the record, we've done that before for advanced funding for Indian Health. We'll be fighting that battle together again later. So uh nobody in this body I enjoy working with more than my friend.
▶ 1:45:56I also would now recognize the chairman for any remarks he cares to make about the amendment. Yes, thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I too uh want to uh thank the gentle lady from Minnesota for her interest in this. And everybody should have an interest in in the issue of making sure that air traffic control is the safest and the gold standard uh not just for this nation but but for the world.
▶ 1:46:20And we've put a hundred million dollars uh in this bill for the purposes of training and hiring air traffic controllers. Um, and I think it would behoove everybody to understand a little bit more and and we'll be we'll be able to help you um understand a little bit more about that sequence of training from the basic level of training for air traffic control uh and what I would commonly refer to as a residency program where they train
▶ 1:46:51uh in in order to be able certified in given airports because not all not all airports are the same. So, it's a complicated process uh that deserves everyone's attention and uh and I will be delighted to work with the gentle lady to ensure that we're doing the very best we can to make sure that the pipeline remains full of people interested in serving from an air traffic capacity uh and that the funds flow uh for those specific purposes. And with that, I' I'd yield. Thank gentlemen.
▶ 1:47:21Gentleman from South Carolina is recognized for remarks on the amendment. I hear more uh from air traffic controllers today than any other group of people in my congressional district.
▶ 1:47:51We must address the academy success rates, the struggle with retentions and the temptation for early Addressing this issue, Mr. Chairman, is not just a plus. This is a must in the world that we currently live in. And I want to thank the gentle lady for offering the amendment. And I thank you uh Mr.
▶ 1:48:20Chairman for your bipartisan attention to this. I do believe we can work together to get this done. It's a must. Thank you. And I yield back. Thank the gentlemen. Uh are there any further comments on the amendment? Seeing none, if there's no further comment, the general ready is recognized for one minute to close.
▶ 1:48:45working with uh everyone on this and on behalf of the air traffic controllers who uh are serving us now. I know that they know we're trying to solve this problem for them. And for those who are looking to serve our great nation, public safety and our economy, look at becoming an air traffic controller. With that, I yield back and withdraw the Thank the gentle lady. I would now like to recognize Chairman Wulmarmac to offer a manager's amendment. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
▶ 1:49:14I ask unanimous consent that the amendment considered as read. Without Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The bipartisan manager's amendment includes bill and report changes to the underlying bill and other technical fixes that both sides have come to agreement on. I thank ranking member Klyurn and other members who have worked with us on drafting this amendment. And I would simply ask my colleagues to support the amendment. It's non-controversial. And yield back the balance of my time. Thank the gentleman. The gentleman from South Carolina is recognized to address the amendment. Thank you, Mr.
▶ 1:49:44Chair. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment. The amendment contains technical corrections and additions to the bill and report language. I have worked uh with the chairman, chairman Wulmarmac in a very positive way with us to accommodate all the requests uh from both sides of the aisle.
▶ 1:50:07I'm very pleased uh with the result that we have uh obtained and I urge my colleagues to support the amendment and I yield back. I thank the gentleman. Do any other members seek recognition to speak on the amendment? Seeing none, I recognize Chairman Wulmarmac for one minute to I urge support of the amendment. Yield back the balance of my time. The questions on the amendment. All those in favor say I. I.
▶ 1:50:36All those opposed say no. The opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the amendment is adopted. U I now recognize uh chairman once I restore order. I now recognize chairman wmarmac to offer a Republican onblock amendment.
▶ 1:51:00Yeah, I was I was going to ask for a roll call vote on that last one, but uh but my cardinal buddy down there u Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk and I ask unanimous consent that my amendment be considered as read. Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The onblock amendment includes bill and report changes that were further strengthened the underlying bill.
▶ 1:51:21The amendment among other things restores the preIGJA federal prohibition on red light cameras, cracks down on the exploitation of advertising space by Chinese adversaries and transit systems and airports in our nation's capital region. It also directs federal highways and transit to conduct a study on the harmful impact of New York's congestion pricing on commuters.
▶ 1:51:48This amendment strengthens the underlying text and uh we would commend it for your consideration. I urge a yes vote. I yield. Thank the gentleman. The gentleman from South Carolina, Mr. Clin's recognized for remarks on the Republican onblock Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this I particularly object to the addition of yet another uh anti-safety rider to this bill.
▶ 1:52:17Uh the language would prohibit funds from being used to purchase, install, or operate traffic safety cameras for red light, speed, or stop sign enforcement. Traffic enforcement cameras are an effective way of detering dangerous behavior on our roadways and have been proven effective in reducing speeding and crashes.
▶ 1:52:45According to the National Safety Trans uh traffic safety administration, there are almost 12,000 deaths and more than 300,000 speed related crashes in and another 1,000 people were killed in crashes as a result of cars running red The reality is that these enforcement cameras are an effective means to detering dangerous behavior.
▶ 1:53:16They reduce crashes, they reduce injuries, and they save lives. Further, the decision on whether or not to be spend funds on safety cameras and where to use them is a local issue. So, this committee should not be inserting itself in this argument. And although I'm in supportive of much else of this bill, I owe this amendment.
▶ 1:53:44I oppose this amendment and wish my colleagues to vote no. Now, you're back. Thank the gentleman. Do any other members seek recognition to speak on the onblock amendment? Gentleman from Georgia is recognized to address the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:54:05I rise today in support of the Republican unblock amendment which includes my amendment that would prohibit funds for the purchase, installation, or operation of automated traffic enforcement cameras for the purpose of red light, speed, or stop sign enforcement. My concern is that these cameras provide a presumption of guilt for the accused without any human evidence to confirm or deny the charges brought against the accused because they don't actually know the identity of the accused. They only know who owns the vehicle.
▶ 1:54:33This is guilty until proven innocent, which violates the basic foundation of our legal system, which is innocent until proven guilty. Currently, 18 states have banned automatic track traffic enforcement cameras with many being banned by their state's high courts for lack of due process protections.
▶ 1:54:50For example, the Minnesota Supreme Court seems to agree with my logic when they prohibited Minneapolis's automated traffic automated traffic enforcement system in 2007, ruling that, quote, it eliminates the presumption of innocence and shifts the burden of proof from that required by the rules of criminal procedure.
▶ 1:55:08In addition to the due process violations, I have privacy concerns with such cameras as well as many of these automated traffic enforcement devices rely on an automated license plate reader to identify the license plate of the number and reference that with records from the DO to then issue these citations. Finally, I am concerned with the complete reliance on technology to determine the guilt of a crime.
▶ 1:55:33Unsurprisingly, a 2014 investigation by the Chicago Tribune found that thousands of drivers were wrongly fined $100 for running a red light because of a technological glitch in the cameras technology. For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support this Republican endlock amendment to prohibit federal funds for the purchase, installation, or operation of these automated traffic devices.
▶ 1:55:56Now, with this amendment, local jurisdictions would still be able to purchase, install, or operate such devices using their own funds on their own roads. Simply put, we should not be spending taxpayer dollars to violate our constituents constitutional due process or privacy rights. Thank you, and I yield back. I thank the gentleman for his remarks. Do other members seek recognition to speak on the onblock amendment?
▶ 1:56:23Seeing none, I now recognize Chairman Wulmarmac for one minute to close. In the interest of time, I would just uh strongly encourage a yes vote. Uh and before I yield back my time, let me just say to the my colleagues here, District Taco uh is in the A committee room uh here in about 5 minutes. You're welcome to enjoy lunch courtesy of my team. Uh and with that, I yield back the balance of my time. I order a yes vote. uh for the purposes just to inform the committee.
▶ 1:56:52I think around 6, Mr. Flashman will also be having dinner brought in. I hope you get to eat it in luxury, but uh I'd love it if you weren't any of you here. Uh and the staff could enjoy the feast, but I don't expect that. But uh again, let's just work together and please come and go as you need to to do that. Um the questions now on the amendment, all those in favor say I. I. Those opposed say no.
▶ 1:57:21The opinion of the chair of the eyes have it and the amendment is adopted. Uh well, we've already adopt if you want to do it. I mean, but we adopted the amendment. It's just up to you guys. I mean, I'll go back and do a roll call if you want it. Okay. a gentleman or gentle lady, excuse me, ranking member of the full committee, Miss Deluro is recognized for the purpose of an amendment.
▶ 1:57:59The gentle lady like to dispense with I I ask unanimous attempt that the reading of the amendment be dispensed. Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentle lady's recognized for remarks on her amendment. I rise to offer this amendment to prohibit the destruction of the federal government's ability to mitigate the worst impacts of the housing crisis and to restore investments that build housing and help American families achieve the stability of home ownership. America's in a cost of living crisis and the cost of housing is one of the primary causes.
▶ 1:58:29The US has a shortage of 7.3 million affordable rental homes. We need to build more housing in every state. situation is no better for those looking to buy. The Center for American Progress estimates that there is a shortage of 3.8 million fewer homes than needed. The Chamber of Commerce estimates it is 4 and a.5 million. No matter where you are in the political spectrum, um it is clear there are not enough homes for Americans who want to buy them.
▶ 1:58:57This is a crisis that affects every part of the country, every age group. Older Americans who have outgrown their homes are staying because there are no affordable options for them to downsize into. That means there are fewer homes going on the market. Fewer affordable options for firsttime buyers looking for starter homes. It's a vicious cycle in every sense of the word. And the only people benefiting are the giant institutional investors and private equity firms which are increasingly buying into the housing market.
▶ 1:59:25And further, nationally, private equity firms own more than 500,000 homes. According to some estimates, private equity firms are expected to own up to 40% of the single family rental market by 2030. Families need help. They need more options. Why then is this majority eager to defund the home program? My amendment would restore funding for this critical investment. This is a a a a supply side program.
▶ 1:59:52It provides grants to state local governments to produce affordable housing, create pathways to home ownership through firsttime home buyer assistance. You know, if we're serious about building more homes, we should not be taking away this tool that has supported new housing construction from Texas to Illinois to Alaska. The amendment restores a level funding.
▶ 2:00:14The amendment uh also uh I'm sorry uh the the amendment uh also restores level funding for neighbor works which helps local organizations develop and preserve affordable housing, revitalize local communities, provide assistance to help families buy and to be able to retain their home.
▶ 2:00:3237 per cut 30 37% cut in this bill would be devastating to nearly 250 community organizations across the country that rely on neighbor works for predictable flexible support especially at a time when the cost of property insurance and housing construction is skyrocketing the partnerships that Neighborworks has built across the nation include uh the New Haven's neighborhood housing services helped leverage over $70 for every dollar of
▶ 2:01:03federal investment, an extraordinary return on investment. This amendment also restores funding for HUD's housing counseling program, which supports thousands of certified housing counselors across the country who provide prospective homeowners with financial real estate education that they need to achieve home ownership. It provides foreclosure prevention assistance, which helps families be able to keep their homes.
▶ 2:01:28neighbor works organizations like New Horizons in New Haven and uh uh even run something called ready to rent classes to help potential renters become successful renters, showing how these programs work together to support housing stability at every level. In 2024, New Horizon's housing counseling program assistance assisted almost 13,000 families in their eviction prevention program, meaning these families were not evicted and not at risk of homelessness.
▶ 2:01:58You know, when I was very young, I was nine years old. My family and I were evicted. And that moment turned our world upside down. I never forget how awful it felt to see all of our possessions piled on the My family worked hard but had very difficult financial really for as long as I can remember. We went to live with my grandmother.
▶ 2:02:28My family recovered and with my getting us back on track, but I understand the horror of eviction. Many other families have the trajectory of their lives changed forever. Some spiral into death into homelessness. We should be doing everything in our power to ensure evction evictions are as rare as rare as possible. That is why my amendment would also restore investment in legal assistance for eviction prevention. Give struggling families a fair shot. Saves taxpayer dollars by helping families stay in their homes.
▶ 2:02:59Connecticut launched a right to counsel program in 2022. $20 million. Within a two-year period, they saved nearly $37 million by providing legal aid to more than 5,000 households. How did Connecticut save the money? Because the renters were able to stay housed. The state did not need to spend this money on emergency shelters, foster care placements, and more social services. The amendment restores a comprehensive approach to housing stability. Home builds a supply.
▶ 2:03:28Neighborworks develops local capacity for affordable housing development. and home buyer support. Housing counseling provides a pathway to sustainable home ownership and legal assistance reduces costly evictions. We need to use every tool to address the national housing crisis. If we do not do this, we can't tackle the cost of living crisis that is holding back working families from reaching their potential. A home is simply not a place to rest your head. It's a source of comfort.
▶ 2:03:57It's pride and success for families everywhere. It is central to the tenant of the quintessential American dream. I'm committed to helping more people make that dream a reality. Proud to propose this minute amendment. I urge my colleagues to support it as well. Thank you and I yield back. I thank the gentle lady. The chairman of the uh subcommittee is recognized for his comments on the amendment. Thank you, Mr.
▶ 2:04:23Chairman, and respectfully, I would oppose the amendment offered by the gentle lady from Connecticut. Uh on its face, it's $1.4 billion above the allocation. Uh so if adopted, it would prevent this bill from going to the floor. The and but let's get down in the weeds here for a couple of things.
▶ 2:04:47The ranking members eviction protection grant program has previously been a set aside in HUD's research account aimed at giving federal money to legal aid societies for the work they already do. We didn't fund this program in FY24 or FY25. So, it's kind of interesting that in a year of such fiscal austerity that the ranking member would be focusing on this on neighborworks.
▶ 2:05:14Our bill restores neighbor works from the president's budget which tried to wind down This is an increase of 73 million. While it's a cut from the FY25 enacted level, we arrived at the level of 100 million through technical assistance. This level does include riffs and scaling back of certain services, but it maintains core services to continue preservation of housing and home ownership and counseling services.
▶ 2:05:41I've discussed our issues with the home investment partnerships many times. Now, let's be clear. HUD has sat on $5 from the American Rescue Plan in four years. And these are current numbers as of today. As a matter of fact, only 17% of those funds have been expended in four years.
▶ 2:06:06So, I'd urge my Democrat colleagues to be forthright on just how much home ARP funding is currently available to assist in several home activities, including tenant-based rental assistance, production or preservation of affordable housing and supportive services. Lastly, on housing counseling, the program has $57 million in carryover into this fiscal year, and this administration is encouraging these sorts of services to be provided by the private sector, not the taxpayer.
▶ 2:06:37So, we've got a tight allocation. There's no question about that. But I maintain this bill is the right approach on funding safety and essential HUD services necessary to care for our nation's most vulnerable. So, I would urge a no vote on the amendment. I yield back. Thank the gentleman. The gentleman from South Carolina, Mr. Klybin's recognized for his remarks on the amendment. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr.
▶ 2:07:00Chairman, I rise in strong support of this amendment to restore critical housing investments that represent lifelines for families who are struggling with the worst housing affordability crisis in generations. In South Carolina and nationwide, working families are being priced out of home ownership and even basic rental housing.
▶ 2:07:24When teachers, nurses, and first responders can't afford to live in the communities they serve, we have a fundamental problem that demands federal action, not retreat. The home program has been the backbone of affordable housing production for over three decades.
▶ 2:07:48In South Carolina alone, home funds have helped create and preserve tens of thousands of homes. In the report and past debate on this issue, my Republican colleagues have suggested that unexpended home ARP dollars are a to cut the annual home investment But we need to be honest about the fact that these programs
▶ 2:08:18are not These programs are targeted to different populations and different eligible activities despite sharing similar names. Home ARP's focus on homelessness is distinct from the annual home programs focus on affordable housing development.
▶ 2:08:43Local communities rely on this predictable source of federal funding to close the gap and leverage other resources for housing production. Eliminating the annual home program creates a gap from home ARP uh that home ERP uh cannot fill without providing funding for the annual home program.
▶ 2:09:09um South Carolina and Arkansas, Connecticut and OK Oklahoma, any other state uh will have significant uh issues. So, we need to be honest about this and I hope we can work together to restore home funding. I would not disagree with anyone who suggests that the home program needs improvement and to make the funding easier to use.
▶ 2:09:40And in fact, there are bipartisan efforts on the way to address this. But there's not a reason for us to walk away from this investment in the midst of America's housing crisis. Additionally, HUD's housing counseling program is particularly vital uh for firsttime home buyers and family families working to avoid foreclosure.
▶ 2:10:06Home ownership remains the primary vehicle for wealth building for American families. for black families especially who have faced decades of discriminatory lending practices and exclusion from home ownership opportunities. These programs represent a pathway to closing the racial wealth gap.
▶ 2:10:28When we invest in home ownership, we're investing in economic mobility and self-sufficiency and the American dream. Neighbor Works has been a trusted partner in communities across South Carolina and the nation for nearly 50 years and is critical for supporting local capacity from housing development and home buyer assistance. Mr. impairment.
▶ 2:10:56At a time when families in all of our districts are struggling to keep up with rising housing costs, this body should be expanding housing opportunities, not eliminating them.
▶ 2:11:11This amendment restores programs at work that have bipartisan support and that represent the federal government's commitment to ensuring every American has access to safe, affordable housing and the opportunity to build wealth uh through home ownership. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and reject the forced choice between fiscal responsibility and housing opportunity.
▶ 2:11:40We can and we must do both. I support this amendment and you're back the balance of my time. I thank the gentleman. The gentleman from Illinois, Mr. Quigley is recognized for remarks on the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I support the amendment. Um, look, housing housing costs are too high because we haven't built enough housing and the home program directly addresses this shortage as the sole federal program dedicated to construction of affordable housing in Chicago. in my district.
▶ 2:12:10Here's some example. Home funds make up half the Department of Housing's budget, providing affordable housing. One project in my district in Lincoln Square will provide 65 new affordable homes in a very desirable neighborhood. That's 65 families who can send their kids to good schools, shop at healthy grocery stores, and feel safe. Without home, those families would not have those opportunities.
▶ 2:12:36One individual in that group, Rosemary Dooall, who is 62, living with multiple sclerosis on a fixed income. She struggled to stay in Lincoln Square, her quote happy place. Home changed that. It's not just about low income. It's about people aging, people with disabilities. This gave me back my stability and peace.
▶ 2:12:59Her new apartment at Canvas at Leland offers both dignity and affordability, something we can talk about for all those families, not just within that area in that district, but across the country. I yield back. Thank the gentleman. The gentle lady from Florida, uh, Mr. Washerman Schultz is recognized for comments on the Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 2:13:23I I rise in strong support of ranking member Deloro's amendment that keeps our promise to lower costs for hardworking Americans. This amendment does that by ensuring critical funding for the home program, housing counseling, eviction prevention, and neighbor works. Mr. Chairman, I I don't know if any of my colleagues have moved recently, but I'll tell you firsthand, housing costs are not going down. Not by any stretch of the imagination.
▶ 2:13:47In my district, the average price for a one-bedroom apartment is between $2,300 and $3,000 a month, depending on location and timing. That's tough for most workers to afford. And we know it's because since the CO era moratoriums were lifted, evictions in my community are back to historic highs. Worse, Tallahassee Republicans, that's our state capital, continue to ignore Florida's skyrocketing home insurance prices. That means they push more young people and families into apartments and kick them off the home ownership ladder.
▶ 2:14:16That's why this amendment is so critical. For instance, the home program provides critical funds to our state and local governments to building to build affordable housing. In communities that I represent, this is crucial because we face high construction costs due to storm resiliency requirements and that keeps lowerc cost housing options out of the market or drives costs so high that rents have to be inflated just to break even. This amendment also includes funding for neighbor works which curbs foreclosures.
▶ 2:14:44and in the last fiscal year delivered $71 of impact for every dollar we gave them. Its programs helped repair over 83,000 homes, created over 16,000 new homeowners, and kept hundreds of thousands of rental homes on the market across the nation. Defunding Neighbor Works cuts off our nose to spite our face. We need more investment in community development, not less. We should all want more Americans in affordable homes and apartments, not less.
▶ 2:15:12For all the Republican talk about making communities more affordable, fostering growth, and giving people more options, this bill does the exact opposite. So, I urge my colleagues to support these common sense programs and adopt this amendment, and I yield back. I thank the gentle lady. Gentle lady from Nevada, Miss Lee, is recognized for comments on the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, can I get a show of hands in here? How many people have a housing crisis in their district?
▶ 2:15:41I guess only Democrats do. apparently across the rest of the country only in blue districts or well I'm not even in a blue district so I don't I don't know what that means but uh you know I I rise in support of this amendment because I was uh very deeply disappointed that this bill at a time when housing affordability is the number one issue in many communities apparently not Republican communities across
▶ 2:16:12the country um at the time this time where it's eliminating the home investment partnership program which was previously funded at 1.25 billion. Uh, this home program has invested $264 million in my home state of Nevada, which has helped build 8,900 homes, provide rental assistance for close to 1,500 families, support close to 16,000 jobs,
▶ 2:16:42and generate roughly a billion dollars in local income. Yet, despite its success, this bill zeros out this program and uh Republicans are saying that there are billions of dollars of unused American Rescue Plan funds that were meant for the home program. Well, let's clear a few things up.
▶ 2:17:05First of all, 99% of these unused funds are actually already obligated and most of these are expected to be spent on specific projects in the near future. So, they're not sitting there wasted uh as the claim is made.
▶ 2:17:23Second of all, it is true that the home program, which has existed for decades to help Americans afford firsttime home buyers, afford uh affordable housing. Um it received a one-time infusion of $4.9 billion. That is true.
▶ 2:17:45But these billions of funds from ARP were intended specifically for shelter, housing, and services for people who are homeless or near homeless. To be clear, this money cannot be used for broader affordable housing, construction, rehab, or firsttime home buyer assistance. And this is specifically what the home program has been geared towards.
▶ 2:18:13So, I find it extremely misleading to say that there's billions of dollars sitting there ready for affordable housing in the home program. Affordable housing construction is an ongoing need in every state that requires a stable, predictable funding stream every year.
▶ 2:18:35This year in Nevada, we have 78,000 units, a shortage of that with Las Vegas area accounting for 60 thou. We are 60,000 units short in my hometown. We have only about 14 units for every 100 homes needed. So, a program like this would be essential to helping fill that gap. This had provided a crucial funding stream for decades.
▶ 2:19:05Uh but the slow spending of funds for a specific targeted program shouldn't be used to condemn and eliminate the entire program. We should continue to support ongoing affordable housing production programs that have proven track records rather than gutting them. I believe this is an egregious oversight. uh not to mention the numerous other problems in this bill. So I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. Thank you.
▶ 2:19:36Thank the gentle lady. The gentle lady from Maine, Miss Pengri is recognized for comments on the amendment. Mr. Chair, I too rise in strong support of this amendment and I appreciate the thoughts of my colleague from Nevada who asked if anyone else had a housing crisis in their district. And while we don't always raise our hands in response to those questions, I think I can speak for everyone in the room because I know for a fact that we all have a housing crisis in our district. This used to be one of those issues I felt like I was speaking about alone.
▶ 2:20:06It's been a problem we've recognized in Maine for a long time, but I know for a fact that we are all experiencing this problem at exactly the same level. So, we can give all kinds of reasons or excuses why this appropriations bill does not include this money, but the fact is we are all in desperate need of this funding in our home districts. And I'll just speak a little bit about my state of Maine.
▶ 2:20:31Now, we have done some studies and know that our need is to build about 84,000 new homes since 2030. Now, for many of you in much bigger states, that may not sound like a lot, but we only have 1.3 million people. And that is a tremendous amount of new houses that need to be built in our state.
▶ 2:20:49And we're not quite sure where that money is going to come from if these vital programs, home, section 8, neighbor works, and also in my state, the price program are eliminate or under eliminated or underfunding because there is just not enough money to create enough affordable housing. Our state is unique in some ways. We have the oldest housing stock in the nation.
▶ 2:21:10And some of this funding, like the neighborworks program, goes to upgrading and repairing houses and has been extremely beneficial to bring housing stock up to the level it needs to be. We also have the oldest citizens in the nation. We are the oldest state in the nation. And that means many people are unable to afford their current situation because they're living on social security or a fixed income. and many of them can't afford to move because the price of housing has gone up so much.
▶ 2:21:38So even though they could sell their house and go to another place uh and put that house on the market for a family, many of them can't find affordable housing to move them. We're 38th in per capita income, so we don't have a lot of people with a lot of extra money to afford housing. And many of them are at risk of not having housing, being homeless, or having to move in with a family member.
▶ 2:21:58So the very idea that one of the biggest crisises going on in our country, the lack of affordable housing is going to go unfunded or underfunded in this bill is a travesty. And I know you all are going to experience this same level of concern back in your home district. If any of you were holding a town meeting, as many of us on the Democrat side have had, and you tried to say to them, "Oh, there's plenty of money for affordable housing. There's nothing to worry about.
▶ 2:22:23We didn't need to fund it." I know you would hear hear a huge outcry from your constituents who'd say that's not true. We cannot afford housing. We can barely afford the cost of food. We're not making enough money in our jobs. And one of our biggest crisises is not being able to have stable housing. I would venture to guess that every single person in this room owns their own house or their own condominium or can afford their rent every month. So many of us haven't had that level of experience.
▶ 2:22:51But the idea for a young family that you can't afford a house, you can't plan for the future, you may not even decide to have children because you say, you know what, I'm living in a one-bedroom apartment and there's no option here is a story I hear quite f frequently. So, I think these cuts are unthinkable. I think they're immoral. And I think everybody deserves the basic rights of having a home.
▶ 2:23:13We have an opportunity at the federal level to help our states to fund the affordable housing needs in our state and we should support this amendment and make sure that funding is is contained within this bill. And I yield back. Thank the gentle lady. The gentleman from Indiana, Mr. Mane, is recognized for his comments on the amendment. Thank you, chairman.
▶ 2:23:35Uh, I stand in support of this amendment by eliminating funding for key affordable housing programs, including a home investment partnership program and housing counseling. This bill betrays the communities across the country struggling to achieve the American dream. In Northwest Indiana, funding helps builds working families construct new affordable apartments units and supports first-time home buyers purchasing homes.
▶ 2:23:57For example, in Lake County, the Lake County Community Economic Development Department used home funds to help finance a veterans apartment building in Hobert, Indiana, and used the program to help low-income families in Lake County purchase homes. Co-Action, a community action agency in my district, also uses HOME to support 10 new units for affordable housing a year. Without HOME funding, agencies and nonprofits across Northwest Indiana, would not be able to invest in these transformational affordable housing projects.
▶ 2:24:26Just last year, the program helped organizations provide housing counseling services to nearly 600 households in Indiana's first congressional district. For example, this program allows Northwest Indiana Reinvestment Alliance to provide first-time home buyer courses, mortgage counseling, and rental counseling. It supports co-actions work for help families to avoid foreclosure, maintain their homes after purchase, and access financial education. Co-action.
▶ 2:24:52These services literally just helped three families this last month avoid foreclosure, stay in their homes, and help the families purchase cars so they can get to their jobs. Uh for 15 years, I served as a local elected official that emer that uh distributed emergency assistance. And one of the great things that happened was I was on the other end of a table or a desk that saw people who were going foreclosure or who were lo becoming evicted.
▶ 2:25:17And it was through uh social services and it was through these agencies that kept the stability of their homes. And what this means is that there are economic conditions that provide this. So in my district of manufacturing and steel, when there are trade policies that are beyond the control of individuals who are working in the steel mills or there are trade policies on manufacturing that create unemployment, how that happens is the first thing that they try to preserve is their home and the stability for their children.
▶ 2:25:48And so these funds are vitally important to make sure that there is an avenue. And to the suggestion respectfully of the northern of $50 million that the private sector will pick that up, the news flash is they will not. The private sector will not pick up those services and will leave these families in the dark with no options. So I respectfully support this amendment and I I yield back my time. I thank the gentleman.
▶ 2:26:15Uh if there are any other members wishing to address the Seeing none, if there's no further debate, the gentle lady's recognized for one minute to close. Let me just say homelessness by state. Texas nearly 28,000, Montana 2,000, Arkansas nearly 3,000. I think we're going to see a public list of the uh states and their level of homelessness. I think that would be enlightening for the public to know about. Couple corrections.
▶ 2:26:44Uh in fact, we did support eviction legislation in 2024 and in 2025. Um but this bill rescends those funds. Uh and further, it goes back on rescending uh all of the balances on legal aid going back before 20 uh 24. And I might add that Commerce Justice Science has just cut legal service by 50% eliminating those services. So we know where that's going. Um, let me remind everyone, the American people demand help with the cost of living.
▶ 2:27:14We hear about it. Uh, my my colleagues have cited the home ARP dollars as justification to cut the annual home program. Um, despite similar names, pro pro programs are not interchangeable. Uh, home ARP funding does not replace missing funding for the annual home program. Programs are targeted to different populations. Affordable housing is where economic potential begins. If you can't find a home, as Mr.
▶ 2:27:38Mvan said, "Then you don't have a stable place to be, to raise your kids, and to succeed." Uh, this impacts a kid's ability to succeed in school, a parents ability to keep a job. Home ownership is not only critical for the formation of wealth for families, but the foundation of safe and stable neighborhoods. I don't believe we can count on the private sector to pick up the slack. Addressing the cost of housing will require deliberate, strategic effort, including federal investment. That's what this amendment does.
▶ 2:28:07I urge your support for the amendment and I yield Thank gentle lady. The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentle lady from Connecticut. All those in favor say I. All those opposed say no. The opinion of the chair. The nose have Recorded vote. Recorded vote has been requested. A sufficient uh number of hands have been raised. So the clerk will call the role. Mr. Adder Holt. Mr.
▶ 2:28:37Aguilar. Mr. Aguilar. I Mr. Alford. Mr. Alford. No. Mr. Ammedday. Mrs. Bice. Mr. Bishop. Mr. Calbertt. Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter. No. Mr. Casease. Mr. Casease. I Mr. Sisammani. Mr. Klene. Mr. Klene. No.
▶ 2:29:08Mr. Cloud. Mr. Klyber. Mr. Clyde. Mr. Clyde. No. Mr. Cole. Mr. Cole. No. Mr. Quayar. Miss Dean. Miss Dean. I. Mr. Lauro. Mr. Loro. I Mr. Diaz Bolard. Mr. Diaz Bolard. No. Mr. Edwards, Mr.
▶ 2:29:38Elz, Mr. Elzie. No. Miss Escobar. Mr. Espar. I Mr. Espayot. Mr. Fleshman. Mr. Fleshman. No. Miss Frankle. Mr. Franklin. Mr. Franklin. No. Mr. Gonzalez. Mr. Gonzalez. No. Mr. Guest Mr. Harter.
▶ 2:30:09Mr. Harter. Mr. Harter. Dr. Harris. Dr. Harris. No. Mrs. Henson. Mrs. Henson. No. Mr. Hoyer. Mr. Hoyer. I Mr. Ivy. Mr. Joyce. Mr. Joyce. No. Miss Captor. Miss Captor. I Mr. Loa. Mr. Loa. No.
▶ 2:30:39Miss Lee. Miss Lee. I miss SLO. SLO. No. Mr. Levan. Mr. Leven. I Miss Mallaloy. Miss Mallaloy. No. Miss McCullum. Miss Ming. Miss Ming. I. Mr. Molinar. Mr. Molinar. No. Mr. Moore. Mr. Moore. No. Mr. Morelli. Mr. Morelli. I Mr. Mvan. Mr. Murvan. I Mr. New House.
▶ 2:31:09Mr. New House. No Miss Perez. Miss Perez. I Miss Pingri. Miss Pingri. I Mr. Pokean. Mr. Pokean. I Mr. Quigley. Mr. Quigley. I Mr. Rashenthaler. Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers. No. Mr. Rutherford. Mr. Rutherford. No. Mr. Simpson. Mr. Simpson. No. Mr. Strong. Mr. Strong. No. Mrs. Torres. Mrs. Torres.
▶ 2:31:40I. Miss. Underwood. Miss Underwood. I. Mr. Valido. Miss Wasserman Schultz. Mrs. Watson Coleman. Mrs. Watson. Coleman. I. Mr. WAC. Mr. Wac. No. Mr. Zinci. Mr. Zinci. No, Mr. Wack, I think the availability of Capitol Tacos has devastated this vote.
▶ 2:32:10So, with that, I would ask uh are there any members wishing to record or change their vote? Me start uh over here with a gentleman from Nevada. Gentleman from No. gentleman from New York, Mr. Loa. No. Gentle lady from Oklahoma. Mrs. Bice. No. Gentleman from North Carolina. Mr. Edwards. No. Gentleman from Texas.
▶ 2:32:41Mr. Cloud. No. Gentleman from Arizona. Mr. Ciscomani. No. Gentle lady from Florida. Washman Schultz. I gentleman from Alabama. Mr. Adder Holt. No. Gentle lady from Florida. Miss Frankle. I gentleman from Maryland. Mr. Ivy. I gentleman from New York. Mr. Espay. I gentleman from Georgia. Mr. Bishop.
▶ 2:33:11I gentleman from Texas. No, I know where. Yeah. I just want to make sure she got him down. Did you get Mr. Quar Mr. Quer? I Now, Mr. Gentleman from California, Mr. Harter, gentleman from South Carolina, Mr. Klyber. I Are there any uh gentlemen from Mr.
▶ 2:33:40Valado, I Are there any other members wishing to record or change their vote? I think we got them all. With that, the clerk will tally.
▶ 2:35:01On this vote, the eyes are 28, the nose are 31. The amendment is not adopted. Is there any further amendment or discussion? Gentleman from New York, Mr. Loa is recognized for an amendment. I have an amendment at the desk and I ask unanimous consent that it be considered read. Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentleman is recognized for remarks on his amendment. Thank you, Chairman.
▶ 2:35:27Uh taxation without representation isn't just a rallying cry for the birth of our great nation, but it's what Long Islanders are saying about Governor Hokll's illconceived commuter tax. My amendment would prohibit the Department of Transportation from using any federal funds to continue implementing New York's congestion pricing program.
▶ 2:35:47At Governor Hokll's direction, the MTA is taking funds from the commuter tax, from suburban motorists per year, and using it to fund city subways and buses. That's taxation without representation. And it's a penalty on hardworking electricians, carpenters, cops, teachers, union workers, all who have committed no crime other than simply driving to work.
▶ 2:36:13These are the same commuters who are already getting crushed by sky-high tolls, the highest property taxes, and the highest state income taxes in the nation. My constituents are fed up with being treated like an ATM for the MTA, a bloated, unaccountable agency that has wasted billions of dollars and still can't get its finances in order. Hundreds of MTA employees are pulling in six figure salaries, some even making more than our state's governor.
▶ 2:36:41While service continues to decline, and commuters are asked to foot the bill. It's outrageous. And it's no wonder public trust in this agency is at a all-time low. And let's talk about the subway system they want more of my constituents to use. It's not safe. Violent crime is up. Fair evasion is rampant. Riders are being shoved in front of trains, assaulted, and in some horrific cases, even lit on fire. And the MTA wants to act like everything is just fine.
▶ 2:37:10If the MTA is serious about addressing its financial mess, maybe the folks sitting in offices collecting bloated six-f figureure salaries should be the first place they look to cut costs instead of reaching into the pockets of my hardworking constituents. My amendment prevents the federal government from subsidizing Governor Hokll's anti-suburban commuter tax. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment and send a message that working people should not be punished simply for going to work.
▶ 2:37:38I yield back, I thank the gentleman. Uh the gentleman from Arkansas is recognized to address the amendment. Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I do support the amendment. Uh my good friend from New York did not make it through the US Naval Academy without being a good listener and um I believe he has listened to his constituents and he speaks with passion and knowledge on this subject. His constituents do not need unfair and unnecessary toll.
▶ 2:38:08So, I urge a yes vote in support of his amendment. I'd yield back my time. Thank the gentleman. The gentleman from South Carolina is recognized to address the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment. While I understand that there are a lot of interests and opinions on this issue, I do not believe that it it is this committee's job to insert ourselves into this issue.
▶ 2:38:36This amendment would preempt the authority of a state to work with its partners and make decisions at the local level. New York needs to work with its local and regional partners on this issue.
▶ 2:38:50Prohibiting any state from exercising its authority to toll roadways is outside the purview of the federal government and a top-down approach without regard for local, regional, and state decision-making will be outside the scope of this committee's jurisdiction. I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment and I yield back. Thank the gentleman. The gentleman from New York, Mr. Espot, is recognized to address the amendment. Thank you, Mr.
▶ 2:39:20Chairman. The New York City subway guarantees that the economy of our country's greatest city and financial continues to move forward. The New York City subway system is unlike any other subway system in the world. It's not like DC where a few lines or even Paris or any other country, European country.
▶ 2:39:48It is a massive system that contacts all five burrows and it guarantees that the world's greatest economy, the New York City economy is healthy. And if the New York City economy is healthy, so goes the goes the country. And I might add, so goes the world. The New York City subway system is joined at the hip with the success of our economy, our world economy.
▶ 2:40:18And as such, it should be funded. It's like your brake pads. You cannot go a 100 miles, 100,000 miles in your car and think that you're not going to change your brake pads. If you don't, it will take off your entire front end and you may crash and die. And so it needs is a juggernaut. It needs investments.
▶ 2:40:43And the folks, our neighbors in in in Long Island were already eliminated from the commuter tax decades ago. You used to pay a commuter tax decades ago and we eliminated it. And yet they continue to use services in New York City. Police ambulance services, they use public buses and pl trains. They use municipal services that have a cost and they don't contribute to it.
▶ 2:41:15They should be contributing to the services that they use on a daily basis. But most importantly, the New York City subway system needs upkeep and repair so that our economy is safe and healthy so that emergency workers that showed up during the pandemic could get to work on time. And in order for us to do this, we have to make capital investments.
▶ 2:41:43And yes, this congestion pricing model has gr has ha has witnessed great success. You cannot disagree that there is no longer the gritlock that held the city back. You cannot disagree that it hasn't been successful for the environment.
▶ 2:42:02Anybody that you speak to, whether they live in Suffach County or Nassau County, will agree that it is now far better to get into the city than before and that the the environment is cleaner. And yes, you have to contribute. If you're using the fire services, police services, ambulance services, if you're taking the A train and you're taking the public bus, you got to up some money. It's as simple as that.
▶ 2:42:31Otherwise, it's on the city's shoulder and that's fundamentally unfair. We did get rid of your commuter tax years ago and you paid a healthy sum for it and we say no, that's unfair. Let's eliminate that. But if you're going to use our services, you got to pay up. You got to pay up. Yes. Otherwise, we're subsidizing you. Many of your districts, fortunately, are very wealthy.
▶ 2:43:01You could subsidize yourself, pay up just a little bit so you don't crash and burn because your brake pads are gone. I yel back, Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman. Uh, are there additional members wishing to address the amendment? Seeing none, there's no further debate. The gentleman from New York is recognized for one minute to close. My good friend from New York says you got to pay up. If you're using the services, you got to pay up.
▶ 2:43:27And yet his party's nominee for mayor of the city of New York wants it all to be for free. If you ride a bus, if you ride a subway, the person that he's supporting for that office, despite him saying if you use those services, you got to pay up. The person he's supporting for that office thinks that it should be for free, which means that everybody else should pay for it. So I agree with you, sir, that if you're using the service, you should contribute to it. But that's the fundamental issue.
▶ 2:43:51The fundamental issue is my constituents who are driving the cars into Manhattan shouldn't be taxed and their money $2,000 a year shouldn't be used to subsidize the thing they're not using. Your your your words were if you're using it, you should pay for it. I agree with you. The people using the buses, the peaceful people using the subways, they should pay for it. That's not your party's plan in the five burrows. Your party's plan is to put it back on the taxpayers, put it back on my constituents. My simple amendment does not take authority.
▶ 2:44:21The gentleman from South Carolina made the point that it takes authority. It does not take authority. The folks in New York can still make the decision to implement this. It just says that we don't have to pay for it. It says that taxpayers from California, New Mexico, and Texas, and all the states we represent. My amendment says that federal taxpayer dollars will not be used to to to subsidize a flawed system that requires motorists who don't use subways and buses to pay for those subways and buses.
▶ 2:44:52With that, chairman, I urge support of this amendment. I yield back. I thank the gentleman. Uh the questions now on the amendment offered by the gentleman from New York. All those in favor say I. All those opposed say no. No. The opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the amendment is adopted. Gentleman's amendment's already adopted.
▶ 2:45:20But again, we'll ask are there sufficient number of hands for the vote? Okay, sufficient number of hands having been raised, the clerk will call the Mr. Adder Holt, Mr. Aguilar, Mr. Aguular, no. Mr. Alford, Mr.
▶ 2:45:49Alford, I Mr. Ammedday. Mr. Amade, I Mrs. Bice. Mr. Bishop, Mr. Bishop, no. Mr. Calbertt, Mr. Mr. Casease, Mr. Sisammani, Mr. Klene, Mr. Cloud, Mr. Cloud, I Mr. Klyber, Mr. Klyber, No Mr. Clyde. Mr. Cole, Mr. Cole, I Mr.
▶ 2:46:18Quayar, Miss Dean, Mr. Loro, Mr. Loro, no. Mr. Diaz Bolard, hi. Mr. Diaz Bolard. I Mr. Edwards. Mr. Elzie. Mr. Ellie. I Miss Escobar. Miss Escobar. No. Mr. Espayat. Mr. Espayat. No. Mr. Flashman. Hi. Mr. Fleshman. I miss Frankle. Miss Frankle. No. Mr. Franklin. Mr. Franklin. I. Mr. Gonzalez.
▶ 2:46:48Mr. Gast. Mr. Harter. Mr. Harter. No. Dr. Harris. Dr. Harris. I. Mrs. Henson. Mrs. Henson. I Mr. Mr. I Mr. Hoyer. Mr. Hoyer. No. Mr. Ivy. Mr. Joyce. Mr. Joyce. I Miss Captor. Mr. Loa. Mr. Loa. I Miss Lee.
▶ 2:47:19Miss Llo. Miss Llo. I Mr. Leven. Mr. Lean. No. Miss Mallaloy. Miss Mallaloy. I Miss McCullum. Miss Ming. Miss Ming. No. Mr. Molinar. Mr. Molinar. I Mr. Moore. Mr. Moore. I Mr. Morelli. Mr. Morelli. No. Mr. Mann. Mr. New House. Mr. New House. I Miss Perez. Miss Pingri.
▶ 2:47:50Miss Pingri. No. Mr. Pokean. Mr. Quigley. Mr. Quigley. No. Mr. Rashenthaler. Mr. Rashenthaler. I Mr. Mr. Rogers. I Mr. Ruford. Mr. Rutherford. Mr. Ruford. I Mr. Simpson. Mr. Simpson. I Mr. Strong. Mr. Strong. I Mrs. Torres. Mrs. Torres. No. Mr. Underwood. Mr. Valado. Mr. Valido. I Miss Wasserman Schultz.
▶ 2:48:21Mrs. Watson Coleman. Mrs. Watson Coleman. No. Mr. WAC Mr. Wack I Mr. Mr. Zinci I Are there any other members wishing to record or change their vote? Gentle lady from Oklahoma. Mrs. Bice. I gentleman from Arizona. Mr. Sisammani. I gentleman from Alabama. Mr. Adhold I. Gentleman from Virginia. Mr. Klein. I gentleman from Georgia.
▶ 2:48:51Mr. Clyde. I gentle lady from Florida. Miss Wasserman Schultz. No. Gentle lady from Pennsylvania. Miss Dean. No. Gentleman from North Carolina. Mr. Edwards. I. Gentleman from Hawaii. Mr. Casease. No. Gentle lady from Illinois. Miss. Underwood. No. Gentleman from Wisconsin. Mr. Pokean. No. Gentleman from Texas. M. Carter. I. Gentleman from Maryland. Mr. Ivy. No.
▶ 2:49:22Gentleman from Indiana, Mr. Morvan. No. Are there other members wishing to record or change their vote? Seeing none, the clerk will tally.
▶ 2:50:49On this vote, the eyes are 32, the nose are 23. The amendment is not adopted or is adopted. Excuse me. Sorry. Just wanted to see if you were listening, Nick. I now recognize the distinguished gentleman from South Carolina, Mr. Klyurn, to offer a Democratic onblock Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr.
▶ 2:51:18Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk and uh request that to be the reading be dispensed with. Uh the gentleman uh is uh without objection, the amendment is dispensed with and the gentleman's recognized to explain his amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, we have a choice today.
▶ 2:51:41We can either do the bare minimum to maintain assistance for the millions of Americans that rely uh on rental assistance for stable housing and homelessness services for shelter. or we can make our country's housing crisis worse. The Republicans bill before us threatened to push over 400,000 households off assistance or out of stable housing where they will be faced with evictions and homelessness.
▶ 2:52:11Not because they did anything wrong, but because Congress chose to pretend to balance the budget on the backs of of our most vulnerable neighbors. My amendment would help forge a different path for this bill. Now, let's be clear about what we're talking about.
▶ 2:52:30When we cut $770 million from section 8 vouchers and f fall $3 billion short of what is needed just to renew existing assistance, we're not just cutting numbers on a spreadsheet. We're cutting the lifeline for 140,000 families who will face eviction.
▶ 2:52:54When we slice public housing by 17%, we are falling short of what is needed to prevent the eviction of 230,000 low-income households and putting resident health and safety at risk at PHAS to forego necessary repairs. The Republican majority claims this bill uh promotes fiscal responsibility, but there's nothing fiscally responsible about worsening the homelessness crisis.
▶ 2:53:25The bill falls short of the renewal need for the continent of the care programs uh that provide shelter and services to people experiencing homelessness in every district district. meaning 28,000 fewer people will get off the streets. It eliminates youth homelessness programs abandoning our most vulnerable young people. This isn't governing.
▶ 2:53:55It's an abdication of our responsibilities on this committee. This bill fails to meet the needs of those who have no other options. 123,000 lowincome seniors would face eviction from their section 202 housing. Over 39,000 households with disabilities could lose section 811 assistance. These aren't just statistics.
▶ 2:54:24These are our constituents. Working families, seniors on fixed incomes, veterans, and people with disabilities. But inadequate funding levels are not the only threat the most vulnerable Americans contain uh in this bill.
▶ 2:54:43This bill also contains a provision that will provide unprecedented sweeping waiver authority for HUD, allowing the secretary significant discretion to upend rental assistance and public housing programs by ignoring key statutory requirements such as income definitions, rent calculations, and eligibility requirement.
▶ 2:55:11This dangerous authority is an abdication of our responsibility as legislators and it would pave the way for work requirements, true limits, and higher rents with no guardrails or assistance that the most vulnerable are protected.
▶ 2:55:31My amendment would ensure that sufficient funding is provided to continue housing and homelessness assistance for the most vulnerable Americans, prevent hundreds of thousands of evictions, and ensure that the HUD secretary cannot rip assistance away from already working families.
▶ 2:55:54It also restores funding for other critical HUD responsibilities, including fair housing enforcement, which is slashed by 67% in this bill. Our civil rights laws are only as strong as their enforcement.
▶ 2:56:12That's why Congress has consistently granted funds for state and local fair housing enforcement, training programs, and HUD professionals who investigate discrimination compliance and ensure compliance. I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment to fulfill our most basic responsibilities in this bill. And I yield back. thank the gentleman.
▶ 2:56:40The gentleman from Arkansas is recognized to respond to the I thank the chairman and I rise in opposition to the amendment. First and foremost, uh I can't support the amendment because it causes the bill to exceed our allocation. If adopted, it would prevent this bill from going to the floor. We need this bill to go to the floor. This bill responsibly funds housing rental assistance programs.
▶ 2:57:03It provides the fiscal 25 level for tenant based rental assistance and inflationary increases for project based rental assistance, housing for the elderly, and housing for the disabled. The combined level for these four programs is 50 billion. That's a modest increase from We also provide new flexibilities to public housing authorities so they can stretch their dollars and serve just as many households in FY26 is they're supporting currently.
▶ 2:57:33In recent years, the cost of HUD rental assistance programs have skyrocketed only in part though due to inflation. During and after CO, HUD had struggled with non-payment of rent by tenants along with over a billion dollars in improper payments. My colleagues on the other side have advocated for the expansion of HUD rental assistance.
▶ 2:57:56Our approach though is to contain the growth of these programs and help these families move beyond subsidies and move toward We should all have that as a goal. Let me be clear. Capping the growth of rental subsidies and providing tools to relieve administrative burdens will not, I say again, will not result in evictions. And with that, Mr. Chairman, I would urge a no vote on the amendment. I thank the gentleman.
▶ 2:58:26The gentleman from Georgia, Mr. Bishop. Oh, excuse me. Uh I Okay. The gentleman from Georgia, Mr. Bishop, is recognized for his comments on the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I rise in support of the gentleman's amendment. In my opening remarks, I pointed out how this bill will abandon those who cannot meet the most basic human needs of shelter.
▶ 2:58:50Uh this bill cuts into section 8 public housing and of course this amendment uh would restore low-income housing and homelessness uh assistance. It would increase the funding for section 8 for public housing and for homeless assistance grants. It would maintain youth homelessness demonstration grants and it would strike the wave authority for work requirements for rent increases or for time limits.
▶ 2:59:19Uh it would restore full funding for the fair housing activities and it would restore funding for the domestic violence survivor set aside within the continuum continuum of care program. Uh it would increase funding for section 202 housing for the elderly. It would increase funding for section 811 housing for persons with disabilities and it would restore funding for VASH.
▶ 2:59:47I ask in my opening statement who could have be opposed to providing such assistance and I ask now for everyone here to put your money where your mouth is and to vote to restore these essential housing programs. This is our opportunity to help our constituents, to help themselves, and to help Americans all over this country to have a better quality of life.
▶ 3:00:18I urge you to adopt this amendment to improve this bill and I yield back. Thank the gentleman. Gentleman from Maryland's recognized for remarks on the I usually forget to turn on the mic. I know I have it on now. What I said was they just turn on the mic and I said what everybody knows I usually forget to turn on the mic.
▶ 3:00:50I strongly support this amendment every as everybody knows I think uh that Mr. WAC is one of the most responsible uh and highest integrity members of this committee and he is doing what he needs to do given the constraints that confront him.
▶ 3:01:10But I strongly support this amendment from Representative Klyber and others to reverse this bill's cut to fair housing programs and other vital government Life's a series of tradeoffs. And if you cut your incoming revenue uh by $5 trillion, you got to find that somewhere because that's an expenditure.
▶ 3:01:38And we are finding it by looking to cutting programs for the most vulnerable in America. When I helped pass the Americans with Disabilities Act back in which was voted upon by the House 403 to 20, one of the most bipartisan votes we've had on any substantial issue that I'll remember.
▶ 3:02:04And the Senate passed it 91 My colleagues and I focused a lot on housing discrimination because we knew it was one of the most significant obstacles the disability community faced to living with greater dignity, independence, and equality. On July 26 of this month, it will be 35 years since that act was signed. Housing continues to be a major problem for those with disabilities.
▶ 3:02:35Housing discrimination remains a problem today generally considering that less than 5% of America's housing is accessible. Think of that. Less than 5% of housing today is accessible to those with Predictably, that's why 53% of all housing discrimination complaints were filed by people with disabilities.
▶ 3:03:00This bill would make it even harder for these Americans to find a home by cutting the local fair housing activities by 67%. That includes severe reductions to the Fair Housing Initiatives Program, which funds nonprofits across the country that together process 75% of all fair housing complaints The program dates back to the Reagan
▶ 3:03:32We shouldn't be politicizing it. We certainly shouldn't be cutting it. This amendment will reverse this cut, ensuring that the voices of Americans with disabilities and others who face discrimination in housing won't be ignored, won't be silent, won't be heard. I ask my colleagues to support this amendment. I yield back. Thank the gentleman.
▶ 3:03:58The gentle lady from Florida, Miss Washerman Schultz, is recognized for comments on the Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you to Ranking Member Klyurn for offering this amendment to restore critical funding to combat homelessness in the United States.
▶ 3:04:19Since FY18, a portion of the funding in the Continuum of Care Homelessness Assistance Grant Program has been set aside to help prevent homelessness among victims of domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault. This funding has helped victim service organizations provide even more survivors with the assurance they need to leave their abusers knowing they have a safe place to lay their head at night. Despite immense progress, there remains a critical need to expand these life-saving housing programs for survivors and their children.
▶ 3:04:48According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence, during just one day in 2024, over 8,000 women across the country who requested emergency shelter, transitional housing, or rapid rehousing programs were denied housing due to lack of resources. To put this into perspective, around 15% of survivors who were seeking housing within a 24-hour period were left without a secure place for them and their children. But instead of expanding this initiative, this bill cruy cuts its dedicated funding altogether.
▶ 3:05:19It is unthinkable that we would strip thousands of survivors of the services they count on to rebuild their lives. For victims of domestic violence in particular, not having their own place to live, can be a matter of life and death. We know that a victim of domestic violence is often forced to return to an abuser if leaving means homelessness. When a survivor makes the brave decision to leave their abuser, it is our job to ensure that they have the support and the resources they need to break abusive cycles.
▶ 3:05:49This means funding comprehensive long-term solutions to ensure their safety and the safety of their families. Mr. Klyburn's amendment would do just that. By restoring dedicated funding for the domestic violence sexual assault bonus program, we can continue to provide hope and care for victims who might otherwise face a lifetime of danger and insecurity. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this amendment and I yield back. Thank the gentle lady. The gentle lady from New Jersey, Miss Watson Coleman's recognized for remarks on the amendment.
▶ 3:06:24Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of this amendment that would restore funding to fair housing activities, specifically to the fair housing initiatives program. Fair housing is not merely something we ought to enforce. It's the law and it's the civil right. This bill slashes funding for fair housing activities by 67%, gutting our ability to investigate discrimination and educate communities about their rights.
▶ 3:06:55That includes eliminating the Fair Housing Initiatives Program, which provides grants to local nonprofits that investigate and resolve housing discrimination complaints. Cuts to Fair Housing Enforcement don't just weaken federal policy. They leave states like New Jersey vulnerable to renewed exclusionary zoning, local resistance, and civil rights erosion.
▶ 3:07:19Without federal backing, state level mandates like New Jersey's Mount Laurel based affordable housing laws, well, they risk being undermined. Even with reform, local resistance persists without robust federal funds and programs like the Fair Housing Initiatives Program and the and translated materials, grants, communities, etc.
▶ 3:07:43with less legal in infrastructure or resources are at a risk of seeing discrimination go unchecked. Restoring full funding to fair housing activities, programs that protect our civil rights nationwide and ensure that states like New Jersey with highly contentious affordable housing don't crumble under local resistance. You know, we must preserve not just the law, but the tools to enforce it.
▶ 3:08:12And we must remember what our history has shown us as it relates to fairness in the access to housing. I want to remind my friends on the other side that I meet on the elevators and in the apartment buildings that I know that these cuts don't represent who you are and what you believe in in terms of not addressing the needs of the most vulnerable, the minority, the disabled, and
▶ 3:08:42the uh veteran in our society as it relates to housing. So, we can't in good conscience just say to you that it is okay to support the agenda of a president who with his father had access to immense housing in the state of New York and intentionally discriminated against people of color that look like me in having access to that housing.
▶ 3:09:10This is not the direction in which we want to go as as this as this country is supposed to stand on its values of equality and opportunity and fairness for all. So I ask you please in your heart support this this amendment and any other opportunity you have to ensure that you are meeting the needs of the most vulnerable in our communities.
▶ 3:09:41You feed the homeless. You feed the hungry. You you shelter the homeless. You clothe the naked. You visit the prisoners. and you accept the visitation of the strangers. That is who we are. That is who we've been. And if we call ourselves Christians, and many of us do, that is what Christ has said. So I stand in support of this amendment. And I ask you to do the same.
▶ 3:10:10Thank the gentle lady. The gentle lady from Pennsylvania is recognized for remarks on the amendment. I thank the chairman. Uh I rise in support of Mr. Klyurn's amendment. I want to take a moment to talk about my portion small portion of this onblock which would increase funding for section 81 811 housing for persons with disabilities.
▶ 3:10:39As we all know, section 811 is a program that develops and subsidizes rental housing with the necessary accommodations and supportive services for the very or extremely low in income adults with disabilities. This bill put before us today provides $262 million for section 811 housing for persons with disabilities.
▶ 3:11:03That is a $3.1 million cut that would be required to continue affordable housing assistance for those more than 39,000 households with disabilities without risking a funding shortfall that could lead to further evictions for vulnerable people living on fixed incomes. So this amendment would simply do that.
▶ 3:11:24It would increase that funding to six uh to excuse me $265 million, that $3.1 million increase. We all know we have affordability housing crisis. This is even greater for the disability community. The fact is that sadly the disabled community is lower income than the general population.
▶ 3:11:46The Urban Institute estimates, and these are 2021 numbers, about one in five disabled people had extremely low incomes compared to about 1 in 12 non-disabled people. And supplemental security income, SSI, is not sufficient to afford decent housing in most of our country.
▶ 3:12:07In 2024, in my home state of Pennsylvania, the average rent on a one-bedroom was 116% of the average SSI payment. Looking at the national average, the numbers are even worse. Rent was 142% of the average SSI payment. Further, people with disabilities disproportionately encounter housing discrimination.
▶ 3:12:32According to the Fair Housing Alliance, over half of housing discrimination complaints are related to discrimination against people with disabilities. I have seen this in my community and in talking with our local Fair Housing Rights Center in southeastern Pennsylvania. The Urban Institute estimates that 18 million disabled Americans are eligible for federal housing assistance and are not receiving it. We cannot afford to underfund this program.
▶ 3:13:00If anything, we need to be investing more, much more. And so, I'll close by thanking the gentleman, Mr. Klyurn, for this amendment that includes the 811 support. And I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the entire amendment. I yield Thank the gentle lady. Gentleman from California, Mr. Lean, is recognized for remarks on the bill amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, colleagues, I hope we can all agree that no veteran should go homeless.
▶ 3:13:29Uh I spent the past six years before uh serving on appropriations as the lead Democrat on the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity that uh has jurisdiction over veteran homelessness and uh working with my Republican colleagues there has been some of the most rewarding work I've done uh as a member of the House.
▶ 3:13:49That's why I was so disappointed to see uh the underfunding of uh HUDBash voucher renewals and perhaps more alarmingly no funding, none whatsoever for any new HUD bash vouchers. As of April, there were over 90,000 families in housing thanks to a HUD bash voucher. But there are still over 32,000 homeless veterans in the United States. And that means two things.
▶ 3:14:19One is we need more funding in this bill to support the existing vouchers. And two, we don't have enough vouchers to support the veteran population. It's why I'm proud to rise in support of this Democratic and block which includes my amendment to include $15 million for new HUD bash vouchers. I know this amendment doesn't include an offset. That's because there are too many other important programs that are underfunded in this bill. also uh some of which I discussed before.
▶ 3:14:49I personally find it inconceivable that anybody would have set the allocation for this subcommittee so low that we are not even trying to house our homeless veterans. We haven't even debated the full subcommittee allocation. So, it's absurd to think that we just don't have the money for any new HUD bash vouchers. And I just want to remind everybody, the decisions we make here impact the lives of veterans in every one of our districts. I want to share the story of one of my constituents named John.
▶ 3:15:19He received an honorable discharge and then he built an incredible 40-year career in aerospace manufacturing, but he got a chronic med he had a chronic medical condition that left him disabled and ultimately homeless. And he spent several years navigating life on the streets and in shelters throughout San Diego County. He connected with an outreach team from one of our amazing service providers in San Diego. He used grant and predium funding to stay in a variety of shelters. And he finally secured a HUD bash voucher in January of 2025.
▶ 3:15:49And he's doing great. Without the new funding that I'm proposing here that I hope everybody would support, veterans like John will suffer. Look, we're either serious about ending veteran homelessness or we're not. We shouldn't hide behind an arbitrary limit set for this subcommittee, which I remind everyone we have not voted on. A no on this amendment means that you're okay with 32,000 homeless veterans.
▶ 3:16:17And frankly, it also means to my point during the opening that everybody is okay with abdicating their responsibility under the very nice plaque again, Mr. Chairman, article 1, section 9, clause 7, that no money shall be drawn from the treasury but in consequence of appropriations made by law. Along those lines, Mr. Chairman, I'd ask unanimous consent to enter into the record a political article from earlier this morning.
▶ 3:16:42Without objection, the title is Russ vote appropriations process quote has to be less partisan. My colleagues, I hope you read this Less bipartisan. Excuse me. I I buried the punchline. Russ vote appropriations process quote has to be less bipartisan. The OM director said more recisions packages could soon be headed to the hill.
▶ 3:17:06Look, I know that if we had a Democrat in the White House and we had a Democratic OM chair that said this to us, I would tell him to take a walk. That's ridiculous. We're the Congress of the United States. And one of the things he says in here is, and I quote, "There is no voter in the country that went to the polls and said,"I voting for a bipartisan appropriations process." Vote said, "That may be the view of something that appropriators want to maintain." Well, Mr. Vote, you're damn right.
▶ 3:17:35This appropriator wants to maintain. My colleagues, we were sent here to do the people's business. I was sent here by Republicans and Democrats and independents alike. and I'm going to do the work to work with all of you in a good faith bipartisan way and I'm not going to let the Office of Management and Budget tell me what to do and I hope you won't allow him to tell you what to do. And with that, Mr. Chairman, I'll yield back. I thank the gentleman.
▶ 3:18:00Are there other members wishing to gentleman from New York is recognized to address the Thank you. Uh Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment by restoring section 8 and public housing funding levels. The amendment ensures that there are no shortfalls in this in the programs that help uh thousands upon thousands of families.
▶ 3:18:24The demand for housing voucher vouchers is only growing in the city of New York with historically low vacancy rates and skyrocketing rents. If we were to allow this shortfall, uh it would devastate uh communities across the country. There is again a homelessness crisis un unprecedented and a lack of affordable housing in the market.
▶ 3:18:53In fact, many families are 50% of their income towards rent. Most experts seem to feel that uh they should not pay above 30% of their income towards rent so that they could uh not have financial issues. But the fact of the matter is that housing costs and house and rents continue to rise and people are just being priced out.
▶ 3:19:23I bet that in every one of our districts, there are communities and neighborhoods where people are being priced out. And so, the way to help people is to provide for uh restoration of section 8 and public housing funding as well as investments for affordable housing and future home ownership. Many of our district also have low levels of home ownership.
▶ 3:19:53and young families are really strapped, Mr. Chairman. They they cannot move forward with the kind of cost for housing. In fact, in fact, daycare and housing, the cost of housing are the two great impediments for a young family to move forward. And we all know that also health care is a major problem, but young people sometimes go by without having health insurance.
▶ 3:20:21They feel they are immortal until they get sick, of course. But for to to have them pay excessive rent and then have them meet the cost of daycare, in which case many mothers and fathers decide to stay home and not work because it's so expensive, is holding our country back. We got the foot on the brake.
▶ 3:20:47We can't not unleash unleash success if we don't take care of this housing crisis and this affordability crisis. And as I said earlier, m Mr. Chairman, the HUD secretary recognized that. But yet the administration decides to cut over 50% of the HUD budget. And here we are also proposing additional cuts that will devastate American families.
▶ 3:21:16And I ask for everybody to be mindful of that. And I support uh Mr. Clyde Burns uh onblock amendment. I think is a wise one and one that is in support of the best interest for all Americans. I yield back. I thank the gentleman. The gentleman from Maryland is recognized for remarks on the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 3:21:42Uh I I want to speak on two provisions briefly here. The first is um Miss Wash with Miss Wasserman Schultz uh provision with respect to domestic violence.
▶ 3:21:55I I was um a young prosecutor and um one of the cases I got pretty early in my career was a domestic violence case and the interesting thing about it was we never went to trial because u the woman who was the victim of the domestic violence and was pretty knowledgeable about how the legal system was working was like well he didn't beat me that badly. I wasn't even hospitalized this time.
▶ 3:22:24So, I know if we go forward and even if we get a probably be a conviction for seconddegree assault. He'll probably get probation. He could be home tonight before I even get there. So, Mr. Ivy, I guess I'm just going to have to keep taking the beatings. And one of the things that was part of that was she couldn't just up and leave because she had a child who was I think it was a male who was 14.
▶ 3:22:54And a lot of the shelters once males hit around 14 or 15 years old, they won't let the kid come in. So she was looking at a choice between staying and taking the beatings and allowing her children to have a steady home of a sort because we all know the generational curse that domestic violence imposes on the children. of course, but the other option was to just be out cuz she couldn't go to a shelter. She wasn't going to leave her her child out there to fend for himself.
▶ 3:23:24So, she didn't really have any other options. So, I was quite surprised to see that the funding to help domestic violence survivors escape that sort of abuse had been cut because I know we all are aware of the ripple effect impact that domestic violence has, especially on young males. And when I later became a homicide prosecutor and we take a look at these young men, frequently their first defense was a homicide.
▶ 3:23:54and you look and you're like,"Well, how did he get there?" Almost invariably, when you peeled the onion back, domestic violence was part of it. And of course, we saw the most horrific outcomes from that. The one I remembered the best was when the guy went back and set his ex on fire. Um, almost burned her to death.
▶ 3:24:21Why would we stand in the way of helping survivors get away from that? I know these are tight times financially. I know there's a lot of budgetary concerns. We disagree on some of the choices that have been made, but I I I'm surprised that there'd be a disagreement on this one. So, I hope you all reconsider that the fair housing issue that that uh provision as well. You know, I'm a young man.
▶ 3:24:51I was a kid actually in Rocky Mount, North Carolina in the 60s. Civil rights movement was in motion. It was going, but the city was still racially divided literally almost exactly along the railroad tracks lines. And I can remember when that legislation passed because it opened things up from a housing standpoint and from a job standpoint too. My father was able to get a better job. We were able to move into a better house. Lives were transformed by that.
▶ 3:25:20But the only way it works because I know a lot of hearts and minds have changed, but a lot have not. And if you don't have an enforcement provision to make it work, it's not going to work. So, I'd urge my colleagues to reconsider on these two These are important provisions that have helped to make America a better place. We still have a lot of work to do. We still have a long ways to go.
▶ 3:25:45Got a great track record of things that we have accomplished in the past, but let's keep moving it forward and let's make sure we don't leave people behind like domestic violence survivors and their children. Let's not leave people behind like the people who are victims of discrimination. We've got to have enough money to take care of that in this America and the wealthiest country in the history of the planet. These are two things that we should be able to do. So, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.
▶ 3:26:14And with that, I yield back. Thank the gentleman. Are there others wishing to address the amendment? If not, the gentleman from South Carolina is recognized for one minute to Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased and I thank my colleagues in for supporting this amendment. Mr.
▶ 3:26:36many of my Republican colleagues have argued that the flexibilities provided held in this bill would allow housing providers to absorb these insufficient funding levels without reducing the number of people assisted. But that could mean increasing the rent burden on assisted households, imposing work requirements, or setting time limits for assistance, which also put families at risk of eviction.
▶ 3:27:06And the eviction thing bothers me a whole deal because I think I've said before in this committee that two of the highest eviction communities in this country, North Charleston, South Carolina and North Charleston number one in my congressional district. Colombia number six according to the Princeton study. There's something interesting about those two communities.
▶ 3:27:34They are both military communities and evictions of military personnel. I don't mean veterans, I mean active duty military whose families are evicted in many instance while they are ser serving overseas.
▶ 3:27:56So, I urge my colleagues to do the right for the most vulnerable and I might say it most patriotic people in our country and support my amendment and I yield back. Thanks, gentlemen. The question is now Oh, excuse me. Request a roll call vote.
▶ 3:28:21Uh, well, hadn't actually put it to the voice vote yet, so Oh, I thought you were asking. I'm sorry, Mr. Oh, no. I I Well, we better wait with baited breath to see what it is. Okay. You never know. You may win. The question is now on the gentleman's amendment. All those say in favor say I. All those opposed say no.
▶ 3:28:50In the opinion of the chair, the nose have it. Roll call has been requested. A sufficient number of hands have been raised and the clerk will call the role. Mr. Adhalt. Mr. Aguilar. Mr. Aguilar. I. Mr. Alford. Mr. Alford. No. Mr. Ammedday. Mr. Ammeday. No. Mrs. Vice. Mr. Bishop. Hi. Mr. Bishop. I. Mr. Calbertt. Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter.
▶ 3:29:21Mr. Carter. No. Mr. Casease. Mr. Casease. I Mr. Sisammani. Mr. Sisammani. No. Mr. Klene. Mr. Klene. No. Mr. Cloud. Mr. Cloud. No. Mr. Klyurn. M. Mr. Klyber. I. Mr. Clyde. Mr. Clyde. No. Mr. Cole. No. Mr. Cole. No. Mr. Quayar. Miss Dean. Miss Dean. I. Mr. Deloro. Mr. Deloro. I. Mr. Mr. Diaz Bolard. Mr. Diaz Bolard. No. Mr. Edwards.
▶ 3:29:51Mr. Edwards. No. Mr. Elzie. Mr. Elsie. No. Miss Escobar. Mr. Escobar. I. Mr. Espay. Mr. Espayat. I. Mr. Flechman. Miss. Frankle. Miss. Frankle. I. Mr. Franklin. Mr. Franklin. No. Mr. Gonzalez. Mr. Gonzalez. No. Mr. Guest. Mr. Guest. No. Mr. Harter. Dr. Harris. Mrs. Henson. Mrs.
▶ 3:30:22Henson. No. Mr. Hoyer. Mr. Hoyer. I Mr. Ivy. Mr. Ivy. I Mr. Joyce. Mr. Joyce. No. Miss Captor. Miss Captor. I Mr. Loa. No. Mr. Loa. No. Miss Lee. Miss Latlo. Miss Latlo. No. No. Mr. Leven. Mr. Leven. I Miss Mallaloy. Miss Malloy. No.
▶ 3:30:52Miss McCullum. Miss Ming. Mr. Molinar. Mr. Molinar. No. Mr. Moore. Mr. Morelli. Mr. Morelli. I Mr. Murvan. Mr. Morvan. I. Mr. New House. Mr. New House. No. Miss. Perez. Miss Pingri. Miss Pingri. I Mr. Pokean Mr. Pokean I Mr. Quigley Mr. Quigley I Mr.
▶ 3:31:24Mr. Rogers Mr. Rogers no Mr. Ruford Mr. Ruford no Mr. Simpson Mr. Simpson no Mr. Strong Mr. Strong no Mrs. Torres Mrs. Torres I miss Underwood Miss Underwood I Mr. Miss Schultz Missman Schultz I Mrs. Watson Coleman. Mrs. Watson Coleman. I Mr. Wac Mr. Wack. No. Mr. Zinci. Mr. Zinci. No.
▶ 3:31:55Are there any other members wishing to record their vote or change their vote? Gentle lady from New York. Miss Ming. I. Gentleman from California. Mr. Harter. I. Gentleman from Tennessee. Mr. Flashman. No. Gentleman from Texas. Mr. Quayer. I gentle lady from Washington. Miss Perez. I gentleman from Pennsylvania. Mr. Russianthaler. No.
▶ 3:32:25Uh, gentleman from West Virginia. Mr. Moore. No. Gentle lady from Oklahoma. Mrs. Bice. No. Gentleman from Alabama. Mr. Adder Holt. No. Gentleman from gentleman from California, Mr. Valido. I uh are there any other members? Uh uh Dr.
▶ 3:32:54Harris don't believe I got gentleman is not recorded. No, Dr. Harris. No. Okay. Are there any other members wishing to record or change their vote? Seeing none, the clerk will tell him.
▶ 3:33:54On this vote, the eyes are 27, the nose are 33, the amendment Amendment is not Gentleman from South Carolina, Mr. Klyurn is recognized for an amendment. Thank you very much. Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentleman's recognized for remarks on his amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr.
▶ 3:34:20chairman, instead of focusing uh on investing in affordable housing and modernizing our transportation systems that power our economy, this bill includes several harmful, controversial policy writers that have no place in this bill.
▶ 3:34:38It limits our ability to address the accelerating threat of climate change despite clear evidence that the wildfire smoke, lifethreatening heat waves, and extreme weather we face daily in this country can be remediated by addressing greenhouse gas emissions.
▶ 3:35:01It includes an agenda into an infrastructure bill blocking implementation of President Biden's executive orders on environmental justice DEI in the federal workforce and protections for youth in schools and I don't know why some of our colleagues would stand in the way of efforts to ensure
▶ 3:35:32federal funding reaches the underserved communities in their own I have said time and time again, Mr. that one of the reasons years ago I offered and this committee accepted uh a funding formula that we called 10 that formula simply says that we will should direct at least
▶ 3:36:0210% of all the money being appropriated in this particular section into those communities where 20% or more of the population has been stuck with the poverty level for the last 30 is the Census Bureau has defined these communities as persistent poverty communities where we should direct funds. And what that simply means is that we will fund communities that are in need.
▶ 3:36:27And I've said before and I want to re-emphasize here today that twothirds of the counties in this country that fall into that category are represented by Republican members of this body. So this is not anything possome. This is all about recognizing that we ought to be directing our resources in comm community communities of needs.
▶ 3:36:55I've also talked about the experiences that many of World War II veterans had coming back home and not being allowed to participate in the GI Bill. In fact, I cited one statistic here in the state of Mississippi.
▶ 3:37:15The first 3,600 GI bills uh for housing granted to soldiers, of that, only two, not 2%. Only two went to people of color. And that's what all of these uh environmental justice issues the DEI directed at trying to correct that problem. We are a great country.
▶ 3:37:42This country is not made great because all of our enlightenment is made great because we've always been able to repay our faults barring from Alexis toville uh in making that statement. So what we want to do here is fund our uh nation's needs and when we can find ways to do it, repair some of the faults that we've had in our great country.
▶ 3:38:12That's what makes us great, repairing these faults. So this amendment would strike these harmful restrictions, these controversial writers and these partisan attacks on critical programs. And I hope we can all agree that that is not necessary uh in a tut bill. I urge your support uh for this amendment and yield back the balance of my time.
▶ 3:38:43I thank the gentleman. The gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Wmarmac, is recognized to respond to the amendment. I thank the chairman and respectfully, I'll channel my inner Lee Corso. Not so fast, my friend. Um, I'm proud of the policy writers that we have in this base bill. And frankly, they can be broken down into three categories.
▶ 3:39:11First, our bill upholds a rule of law. This amendment would allow local governments to continue failed sanctuary city policies without any negative repercussions and even use federal dollars for the housing of illegal immigrants. This amendment would do that.
▶ 3:39:36Second, our bill scales back federal government overreach and removes unnecessary burdens from the US economy. Whether it be burdensome policies impinging on privacy, placing speed limiters on large vehicles or directions from Washington on how local and state governments handle evictions. My friends on the other side would rather overregulate than join Republicans in finding what I believe are common sense solutions.
▶ 3:40:06And I think that's what the majority of the electorate decided back in November, a year ago. Third, our bill puts an end to wasteful spending. Through this amendment, Democrats are proposing to funnel billions of dollars into failed boondoggle high-speed and inner city rail projects where costs and timelines are never ending.
▶ 3:40:35So for these reasons, I would urge a no vote respectfully on this amendment and I yield back my time. Thanks, gentlemen. Are there other members wishing to address the Seeing none, uh, the gentleman is recognized for one minute to close. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 3:40:58I want to say once again how much I appreciate, uh, the good work of the chairman of our subcommittee. Uh, I, uh, have a great deal of admiration and respect for him. However, I will call his attention to the fact that um when we have elections in this country, uh we don't make those elections by popular vote.
▶ 3:41:25Uh we may participate in the popular way, but there's something called the electoral college uh that allows for the election uh of a president uh without a majority of the vote. And that's happened uh very often in this country. So it all depends on where you get the votes from. Uh that depends whether or not you get a majority electoral college.
▶ 3:41:51And remember the electoral college was a compromise based on race. Are you back? Thank the gentleman. The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentleman from South Carolina. All those in favor say I. All those opposed say no. The opinion of the chair and the nos have it and the amendment is not adopted.
▶ 3:42:42Perfect timing as it was last night for the gentleman from or gentle lady from Florida. Gentle lady from Florida, Miss Wasserman Schultz is recognized for an Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at the desk and I ask unanimous consent that it be considered as read. Without objection, uh the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and gentle lady's recognized for remarks on her Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I I rise today to offer an amendment that is much more much that is about much more than a single grant program.
▶ 3:43:11It's about the rightful power of Congress to decide how taxpayer dollars are spent and about keeping our promise to the communities we serve. My amendment would unfreeze the federal dollars awarded in round two of the charging and fueling infrastructure grant program by directing the Secretary of Transportation to obligate any remaining balances within 90 days. I'm offering this amendment because the administration is currently blocking funds that Congress appropriated and the DOT already awarded, including nearly $5 million for the city of Hollywood, Florida, and my district.
▶ 3:43:42Hollywood's residents were thrilled to receive this investment. Our city has already started planning and preparing to install badly needed EV charging stations, but today they're in limbo with their front funding frozen by an executive order that p paused IIGJA dispersements without any approval from Congress. This isn't just happening in Hollywood. In Duval County, which includes part of Congressman Rutherford's district, the city of Jacksonville was awarded nearly $2.8 million for its own EV charging initiative.
▶ 3:44:12And in Tennessee, represented by ENW Chairman Fleshman, the state was awarded more than $35 million for a statewide EV corridor project. These are real dollars for real communities appropriated by this committee, voted on by this Congress, and awarded through a competitive process. When the executive branch freezes these funds unilaterally, it doesn't just hurt Democratic constituents. It hurts all of our constituents, too. The executive order freezing those funds is not just bad policy.
▶ 3:44:40It is a direct affront to our power of the purse under article 1, section 9 of the constitution. Every appropriator in this room takes that responsibility seriously. I hope that's what we signed up for when joining this committee despite what the OM director says. We debate, we deliberate, and when we are actually able to come together in a bipartisan fashion, which I think we've all witnessed we do all the time within these walls, then that decision should stand.
▶ 3:45:10That plaque that was thankfully restored and returned to its rightful place is our constitutional authority. But when the administration ignores our decisions and impounds funds, it is stealing our power and undermining the institutions of this Congress. We cannot and must not let that stand. So I urge you to stand with your constituents with our constituents with stand by the decisions we already made. stand up for this committee and our authority and support this amendment.
▶ 3:45:40Thank you and I yield back the balance of my time. Thank gentle lady. The gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Wulmarmac is recognized to respond to the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to the The charging and fueling infrastructure grant program is competitive grant program funded by the IIGJA through the highway trust fund portion of the bill. It's not part of the appropriations division of the bill.
▶ 3:46:10Now, I recognize that the OM request included a proposal to chimp change of mandatory spending uh contract authority dollars through the competitive EV program to achieve a billion half dollars in savings. Our bill rejects this request. So I ask members to join me in opposing this amendment. I yield back. Thank the gentleman. The gentleman from South Carolina, Mr. Klyber is recognized to address the amendment. Thank you very much.
▶ 3:46:47Thank you. in my home p state of South Carolina. We are participating mightily uh in this area going forward. I have talked about the changes taking place in our environment uh so much so until I'm having a real struggle these days participating in my favorite pastime because of the weather. And so I believe this is not just a new need but this is a new economy.
▶ 3:47:18in many of our states and I would hope that we would approve this amendment. Are you back? Thank the gentleman. General lady from Illinois is recognized to address the Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a question for Mr. Romac. If you could, you know, clarify what your comments were. We didn't really understand what you were saying about the request and how it relates to Miss Wasserman Schultz amendment. And so I would be happy to yield to the gentleman to clarify.
▶ 3:47:47I I'll be happy to um also uh call on some of my team some of my staff members uh in the event that I can't articulate an adequate answer to your question. But let's just look at the background of this uh issue. The charging and fueling infrastructure grant program is a $2.5 billion dollar program funded through the highway trust funds contract authority.
▶ 3:48:14and our our bill exceeds the limitation of obligation of these funds. The OM request requested a cancellation of prior year balances and a recision of the FY26 amounts in this program resulting in a total change in the mandatory program or the the CHIMP as it's referred to of over a billion and a half dollars.
▶ 3:48:38Our bill doesn't carry any Uh and we would not want to cancel highway trust fund amounts because that would be a breach of the TNI So uh now if if there is additional information you need I've got a professional staff here that can probably dig down a little bit further in the weeds on it, but uh in answer to your question, I yield.
▶ 3:49:02So to summarize, are you saying that we don't have you don't have recisions in this bill, but the recisions are happening someplace else, or are you saying that we're trying to add to the top line? We rescended u the Nebi program and this particular program we're talking about about is um it what's what's the correct Contract.
▶ 3:49:31the contract authority. So that's the difference. And so this is contract authority and and we don't do that. We don't change the contract So are you saying then that the $2 billion for these EV charging stations remain in your base bill? Okay.
▶ 3:49:55And so the money is in the base bill that would be funded for fiscal 26 even though you know that the Trump administration is refusing to spend those funds. Yeah. Um we're getting into some technical terms here, but we we we don't have a request uh from the administration on this. I'm Oh, I understand that part. I'm just talking about our appropriations bill, right?
▶ 3:50:24we can appropriate funding that they don't request. And so I'm just trying to clear. We are voting our recisions either today or tomorrow. I understand that part. Yeah. I am not clear on what you are saying is in this base bill and why that is a justification for not supporting Miss Waserman Schultz. That is correct. I just don't understand. I'm I'm not asking the gentle lady to Oh, okay. Okay.
▶ 3:50:47So, there's a lot of things that I uh do or propose or put in this bill that a lot as evidenced by a lot of votes today that you probably don't understand as Oh, Mr. Chairman, I don't think it's there's necessary to be to be fair. Sure, sir. I'm just asking for clarification. You know, we talked about a recision. We talked about the base bill. We talked about a couple billion dollars being in the base bill. We've talked about there not being a funding request.
▶ 3:51:17I just don't understand then why there is an opposition. That's the part that's not clear. Yeah. To to to requiring the the funds to be spent or to clarify the congressional intent for the funds to be spent. I've stated the opposition. Okay. I yield back. Thank Lady and gentlemen.
▶ 3:51:39Are there other members wishing to address the There is no further debate. The gentleman is or gentle lady, excuse me, is recognized to close. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, the chairman has clearly stated that these funds are not removed from this bill. This program is still a part of the jurisdiction of this bill. We have appropriated these funds.
▶ 3:52:10They are lawful and the administration does not have the authority to decide not to spend them. They've frozen all the funds for a program that was that is inbounds in this bill. And respectfully, the chairman's explanation does not prohibit or prevent us and there's no addition to the top line here. There's nothing in this in this bill barring us from adopting my amendment except political will.
▶ 3:52:38And and the political will we need to have is to stand up for our co-equal branch of government and for our own constituents who are being denied funds that were already approved that were about to be distributed and that they froze and still haven't unfrozen. Even if you buy the argument that they are trying to align program funding with the administration's policy, it's been months already and they had plenty of time.
▶ 3:53:07This is good old-fashioned impoundment and refusal to abide by federal law and also by our constitution. Let's make sure we have spines here and stand up for our constituents. I've specifically enumerated numerous me several members here are and there are countless across the Congress whose constituents funds are frozen.
▶ 3:53:28I urge you to vote for the adoption of this amendment so we can make sure that our constitutional authority and our lawful right to appropriate these funds is respected and our constituents get the resources we provided to them. And I yield back. Question is now on the amendment offered by the gentle lady from Florida. All those in favor say I. All those opposed say no.
▶ 3:53:56The opinion of the chair, the nos have Roll call. Recorded vote has been requested. A sufficient number of hands have been uh been raised. You can put your hands down now. Uh we got enough. Uh so the clerk will call the role. Mr. Adder Holt. Mr. Adderholt. No. Mr. Mr. Aguilar. I Mr. Alford. Mr. Alford. No. Mr. Ammedday. Mrs. Bice.
▶ 3:54:26Mrs. Bice. No. Mr. Bishop. Mr. Bishop. I. Mr. Calbertt. Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter. No. Mr. Casease. Mr. Casease. I. Mr. Sisammani. Mr. Sisammani. No. Mr. Klene. Mr. Klene. No. Mr. Cloud. Mr. Klyurn. Mr. Clyurn. I Mr. Clyde. Mr. Clyde. No. Mr. Cole. Mr. Cole. No. Mr. Quayrar. Mr. Quayar. I Miss Dean. Miss Dean. I Mr. Laurel. Mr.
▶ 3:54:56Laurel. I Mr. Diaz Bolard. Mr. Diaz Bolard. No. Mr. Edwards. Mr. Edwards. No. Mr. Ellie. Mr. Else. No. Miss Escobar. Mr. Escobar. I. Mr. Espay. Mr. Espay. I. Mr. Fleshman. Miss. Frankle. Mr. Frank, I Mr. Franklin. Mr. Franklin, no. Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Gonzalez, no. Mr. Guest, Mr. Guest, no. Mr. Harter, Mr. Harter, I. Dr. Harris, Dr. Harris, no. Mrs. Henson, Mrs.
▶ 3:55:27Henson, no. Mr. Hoyer. Mr. Hoyer. I Mr. Ivy. Mr. Ivy. I Mr. Miss Captor. Miss Captor. No. Mr. Loa. No. Sorry. Off. No. And I Miss Captor. Mr. Loa. Mr. Loa. No. Miss Lee. Miss Llo. Miss Llo. No. Mr. Levan. Miss Mallaloy.
▶ 3:55:58Miss Mallaloy. No. Miss McCullum. Miss Ming. Miss Ming. I. Mr. Molinar. Mr. Molinar. No. Mr. Moore. Mr. Moore. No. Mr. Morelli. Yes. Merrily I Mr. Murvan Mr. New House Mr. New House No Miss Perez Miss Perez I Miss Pingri Miss Pingry I Mr. Pokean Mr. Pokean I Mr. Quigley Mr. Quigley I Mr.
▶ 3:56:27Rashenthaler Mr. Rogers Mr. Rogers no Mr. Ruford Mr. Ruford no Mr. Simpson Mr. Simpson no Mr. Strong Mr. Strong no Mrs. Torres Mrs. Torres I Miss Underwood Miss Underwood I Mr. Valido Miss Waserman Schultz Miss Wasman Schultz I Mrs. Watson Coleman Mrs. Watson Coleman I Mr. Wac Mr. Wack No Mr. Zinci Mr.
▶ 3:56:56Zinci no Are there any members wishing to record or change our vote? Gentleman from Mr. Flashman, no. Uh, are the two gentlemen conversing? Are they recorded? Mr. Alford, are you recorded? Okay. Mr. Clyde, I think you are recorded. I just wanted to make sure. gentleman from Indiana. Gentle lady from Nevada.
▶ 3:57:27Miss Lee. I, gentleman from California. Are there others wishing to be recorded or change their vote? Seeing none, oh who how's the gentleman from Ohio recorded? Mr. Joyce, no. Are there others wishing to record or change their vote? Seeing none, the clerk will tally.
▶ 3:58:35On this vote, the eyes are 27, the nose are 30, the amendment is not adopted. The gentle lady from Maine is recognized for an amendment. Here I have amendment at the desk. and I would like to see the reading dispensed with. Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentle lady's recognized for remarks on her amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
▶ 3:59:03My simple amendment that I think you will all be very sympathetic to and want to support restores funding for fairies. Now, many of you have never had the experience of riding on a ferry or don't know how important fairies are to so many communities in this country, but I want to tell you a little bit about it. I'm quite sure, and you've probably heard me say this before, I'm the only member of Congress currently serving who has to take a ferry to get home to my home.
▶ 3:59:33So, when I leave Washington, I get on a flight like all of you do at National Airport and fly to Portland, Maine. Then I get in my car and I drive an hour and a half north to Rockland, Maine. And then if I've made it in time, I get on the ferry to North Haven, which takes about an hour and 10 minutes, and then I'm home. So that is an essential part of my travel every single week.
▶ 3:59:59Now, that's not the only ferry in this country, but I thought describing my own experience might help you all to understand how vital this is. when I leave to come back uh when the weekend is over, if I've been home for the weekend, as we know, we don't all get home every weekend, but when I'm home for the weekend, after hanging out with my grandchildren and working in the garden and catching up with my friends and neighbors, um I get back on a ferry at 7:30 in the morning on Monday.
▶ 4:00:24I have to leave my house, make sure I'm not late, find some place to leave my car in town, make sure I didn't leave it at a parking space that will annoy one of my neighbors, get back on the ferry for an hour, and the first thing I do is sit down on the ferry and I have a wonderful conversation with my friends and neighbors because the ferry is our mass transit system. We catch up on how our kids are doing. Sometimes they ask me questions about Washington. Usually they're too polite and they know I don't want to talk about it till I have to get back here.
▶ 4:00:51Um, but we talk about, you know, how the lobster fisherman are doing, who's the newest teacher hired in the school, and how things are going in my garden, or do I have enough wood set aside for this winter. So, it's a wonderful way that we uh relate to each other in the community, and I get off, get back in my car, drive back to the airport, do the whole routine all over again. In my community, the ferry is basically the only way you can come and go from the island.
▶ 4:01:15If you get sick in the middle of the night, we have a nurse practitioner, but very likely if you need to go to the hospital, the ferry crew will get out of their beds in the middle of the night. They'll load up the ferry, they'll put you in the ambulance, take you back on the ferry for an hour ride, and get you to the hospital. It is a vital service. If you want to go for a grocery run, we have a little store in our town, but if you want to go and buy more groceries, um you'll get your car on the ferry. It only takes 17 cars. You have to get in a line.
▶ 4:01:43You can't always get it on the boat you want to go, but it'll cost you $55 to take your car round trip on the ferry. Um, it'll cost you $23 if you're a passenger. So, we pay our way, but we also depend on state and federal funds to make this affordable. It is our highway for all of you. When you want to run an errand to go out to eat, you just get on a fair. You just get on the highway and go somewhere. We need a ferry. Now, of course, we're not the only ferry system. Maine has 14 year-round islands.
▶ 4:02:13They are all served by fairies of one kind or another. We transport about a million people every year on fairies to get to our year-round island communities. But nationally, we transport over 90 million fairies. Maine is not the biggest state when it comes to fairies. In fact, the biggest state for fairies is Washington state. And I know we have two Washington state members on this committee who depend on fairies in their state as well. New York State is the second most fairy uh friendly and Texas is the third.
▶ 4:02:41But numerous states around this country, even in the Midwest on the Great Lakes, depend on fairies. There is no good reason to cut this funding. I have a list here and I won't go through it all, but of all the grants that were received by states around the country, Louisiana, Alaska, New York State, Massachusetts, Maine, of course, New Jersey, so many of them depend on ferry funding.
▶ 4:03:04So, I'm there for all of you when you need another highway system, when you need more roads and bridges, when you get a a mass transit system in your district, highspeed rail, slow speed rail, the uh subway system, whatever it is. You need to think about the rest of us who can't get anywhere without the ferry system, who depend on this. You need to think about all the communities where fairies get more cars off the road because they help bring people between Connecticut and New York or other places where they reduce the amount of traffic on the roads.
▶ 4:03:34It is ridiculous to take this money out of this bill. Please support this amendment. Restore the funding. Help the people in my community in the state of Maine, but in your states as well to make sure this very funding stays in the bill. I yield back. Thank you, gentle lady. The gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Warmarmac is recognized to respond to the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I rise in opposition to the amendment.
▶ 4:04:00U on its face, it uh exceeds our allocation, and if adopted, as I've said before many times, it would prevent the bill from going to the floor. Further, the demand and rate of obligation for either of these ferry grant programs does not justify the increase. The IIGJ provides $50 million annually for the passenger ferry programs. Low no set aside. Low no set aside. It provides 200 million annually for the rural ferry program.
▶ 4:04:28There's hundreds of millions of carryover from both of these accounts heading into FY26. This is the final year of the IIGJA. To throw more money on these programs with significant unobligated balances to me would be irresponsible. So I would urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment and uh would yield back the balance of my time. Thank you. Thank the gentleman. Are there other members wishing to address this amendment? A gentleman from Illinois is recognized to address the amendment.
▶ 4:04:58I want Miss Pengry to stand alone on this point and the remarks she made about you should care about my fairies as I do about your project is I think should be the theme of this committee. Right. uh the chairman of the folk committee took us to Baltimore when there was a bridge collapse recognizing that everything is connected.
▶ 4:05:23So, in the final analysis, I should care just as much about the fairies and the Southshore line into Indiana into Frank's district and um as I should as you should care about locks on the Mississippi or the blue line in my district because in the in the bottom line, it's I should care about you and respect you and the needs you have in your district because I respect you and those people who live in your district. But in the file analysis, it's it's all connected.
▶ 4:05:52If there's we learned if anything from the bridge is there's a failure in one part of this system, it affects all of us. And in the final analysis, as corny as it sounds, we're all in this together and it's tied together in this extraordinary transportation system we have and it's reason enough to support her amendment. Thank you. I yield back. Thank the gentlemen. Are there other members wishing to address the amendment? General lady from Ohio is recognized to address the amendment. Thank you. Um Mr.
▶ 4:06:21chairman and I rise in strong support of the Pingri amendment. Now, I stand here as a great Laker and I'm not going to point the finger at any other Great Lakers that are on this committee. There aren't that many, but we share our lakes with Canada and we have literally thousands of islands as you go along the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway. Uh, and I support the Pingri amendment to restore ferry service grant funding under the Federal Transit Administration. It's a just amendment.
▶ 4:06:50It's a sustainable one and it provides access and everything she said is absolutely true. I want to add emergency services. Uh when you can't get the airplanes fired up in the wintertime sometimes uh the Great Lakes don't freeze over anymore, at least in my part of the Great Lakes, those ferry boats are essential uh to life.
▶ 4:07:10So, um, whether it's in Alaska, whether it's in New York City, or whether it's on the Great Lakes, uh, these systems that are running, if you come out our way, they are outdated and there are polluting engines that still exist. And one of the most important occupations along the region is actually someone who can repair and transform the uh, systems for powering these uh, boats. Too many of the ferry boats are running on outdated polluting engines.
▶ 4:07:40And this amendment changes that. It dedicates funding, real dollars, to low and zero emission fairies, including those that could be powered by electric batteries and hydrogen fuel cells. And that means cleaner air, quieter waters, and fewer carbon emissions in places that already feel the brunt of climate change. And on the lake that I represent, it's the lowest most southernmost lake in of the Great Lakes. It used to freeze over. It doesn't do that anymore.
▶ 4:08:09Uh but we're the largest fishery on the Great Lakes and we have a lot of ferry boats that participate in that business. Uh a lot of seafaring vessels. Uh I just want to say for the record, I represent places that I invite you all to. Kelly's Island, Middle Bass Island, Putin Bay, and hardworking port cities along our shores like Port Clinton, Sanduski, Toledo, Lorraine, Avon Lake. My gosh, the list is very long. Even Cleveland, Ohio.
▶ 4:08:37So, our communities deserve modern, efficient systems that protect the water and air we all depend upon. This is really an SMR, a smart uh investment, one that supports good paying jobs, by the way, in ship building. And we need more ship builders in this country and more places that can move our defense department forward in ship building faster. And this is where it starts at ports like our own and lakes communities connected to the islands that are out there.
▶ 4:09:05Let's meet the moment and support the Pingri amendment. Thank you so much for offering it and I yield back. Thank gentle lady. Gentleman from California is recognized to address the Thank you Mr. Chairman. Uh I'm less familiar I'm on the subcommittee. I'm less familiar with this plan. There aren't a lot of fairies in my in my district. Um, but this is smart policy for the reasons that Miss Pingri and and Miss Captor mentioned. But I'm particularly struck by what Mr.
▶ 4:09:32Quigley mentioned, which is this only works if all of us understand and trust one another and trust that our constituencies are different and that we're speaking for our constituencies. But there isn't a program in here that uh affects every single district all of the time. And so uh I think that it's incredibly important. But Mr. Chairman, uh Mr.
▶ 4:09:57Bulmarmac, uh you've heard a lot of compliments from colleagues on our side of the aisle about you and how you run this committee and your demeanor. I'm not going to give you any of those compliments. You know how I feel about you and I think that your head is getting big, so I'm not going to give you anymore. But I I would like to engage you in a question because I've heard this I think four times now. You have talked about the topline allocation. I'm buried in paperwork over here and so forgive me. Um I know there's a lot of material in front of me.
▶ 4:10:27Uh where's the approved topline number that we have for transportation housing? I'm just um you mentioned that that passing this amendment will upset the topline number and prevent us. We don't have a topline number. So unless I miss something, Mr.
▶ 4:10:48Chairman, can you point me to the topline approved number that we have that is a subject for part of your opposition opposed to the Pingry Well, u I'll I'll answer that two ways. the the first way with uh with highest amount of respect to my chairman Mr. Cole uh who I take most of my commands from.
▶ 4:11:11Um but but th those allocations are going to be voted on today and and so that okay that vote so we have no approved topline number. So what you mentioned and Miss Pingri in what the gentleman is suggesting would be technically accurate. Okay though we are going to be voting on those numbers today. But will if the gentleman don't continue to engage, there are computers and printers in this building that we're in. Correct.
▶ 4:11:39We reprint a new topline number. You're aware of these devices. I am. So I I just want to make sure there's might might even be a fax machine in here, too. I'm sure there is. There's members with pagers. So, um I guess I just want to understand if we're going to use this and speaking from a selfish perspective, Mr.
▶ 4:12:00Chairman, I have uh an amendment um that adds to uh uh that adds some resources and I just want to preempt uh your opposition uh potentially to that amendment. Although I hope that you I hope that you will support my amendment. Uh I just I just want to be clear that we don't have an approved topline number. This committee controls or we will control at the end of the evening or day or week as whatever Mr. Cole decides.
▶ 4:12:27uh we will make that determination but we could still approve this amendment without violating any rule. I would also suggest I mean if we want to pause the hearing to take up 302bs you know I I can't speak for the ranking member but maybe we need to do that. We have debates on the house floor right now with important members of our committee not here in this room engaging this debate because they're debating on the floor right now.
▶ 4:12:55So, I'm just wondering from a process standpoint if if you feel comfortable. I trust you. If you feel comfortable moving forward with where we are or if you need some time to approve 302B, I'm I'm only in charge of the transportation, housing, and urban development subcommittee. Uh the if you guys need to huddle bigger item, including the allocation of 302bs, uh I'll trust my chairman uh to lead us in that direction.
▶ 4:13:24Look, I stood up for only one reason, and that is because I love you, Pete, and I thought you were going to say some really, really nice things about me. I know. I know. but you've got 40 seconds remaining um in your time. So, I'll No, you know, and I'm going to give you 30 seconds back of your life, Mr. Chairman. So, I'll yield back. I want to encourage that laudable feeling of giving back time.
▶ 4:13:50So uh but with that gentle lady from Pennsylvania is recognized to address the amendment. I rise in support of this amendment and in support of support for fies. I just had the opportunity to ride on the Cape May ferry which I have not done in years. Uh it's an economic engine.
▶ 4:14:12It's also good for um it's transportation, but it's good for uh the summer visitors in the Jersey Shore and Delaware beaches area. Uh and I just wanted to add to what Mr. Quigley said. Uh and I I was reminded of what John Lewis said to us so many times, Miss Pingri. Uh we all got here on different ships, but we're in the same boat, dare I say ferry now. We are all in the same boat, folks.
▶ 4:14:40Uh in the spirit of that, let's work together to support things that matter in uh Miss Pingri's district and many others uh as we want to support things that work in your district. I yield Thank the gentle lady. Are there other members wishing to address the Seeing none, the gentle lady from Maine is recognized for one minute to close. Thank you very much, Mr.
▶ 4:15:04chair and I thank my colleagues who have supported this and who understand that we are all in this together and while I'm happy to support the roads and bridges and issues that people have around the country mass transit so many other things um would love to see that same level of support and concur that we don't have allocation so using that as an argument as well as using the IIGJA and so many other sources of funds which we are rapidly seeing slip through our fingers as this administration does not spend the funds that we already allocate ated
▶ 4:15:35for the purposes that we allocated. So there is no way to determine that funding will still be there. But I think this is our opportunity to continue to modernize their our fairies. As Miss Captor had said, if you travel to a country like Norway or many of the European countries, they already have electric or hybrid fairies. They're already using low emissions engines and they are always already using the best efficient system possible.
▶ 4:15:59So, I hope you will all uh support this amendment and understand how important this is to my state and to many states around the country. And oh, one last thing, I may have misspoken. Representative Malotakus may take the Staten Island fairly to get home and I will clarify that. So, there could be two of us. This could be a bipartisan need as you see. I yield Colorful debate. Um the question is now on the amendment offered by the gentle lady from Maine.
▶ 4:16:28All those in favor say I. All those opposed say no. The opinion of the chair of the nose have it. But roll call has been requested and sufficient number of hands have been raised. The clerk will call the role. Mr. Adder Holt. Mr. Adder Holt. No. Mr. Aguilar. Mr. Agular. I Mr. Alford. Mr. Ammeday. Mrs. Bice.
▶ 4:16:59Mrs. Spice. No. Mr. Bishop. Mr. Cal. Mr. Bishop. I Mr. Calbertt. Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter. No. Mr. Casease. Mr. Casease. I Mr. Sisammani. Mr. Sisammani. No. Mr. Klein. No. Mr. Klene. No. Mr. Cloud. Mr. Klyurn. Mr. Klyurn. I. Mr. Clyde. Mr. Cole. Mr. Cole. No. Mr. Quaar. Miss Dean I Mr.
▶ 4:17:29Lauro Mr. Loro I Mr. Diaz Bolard Mr. Edwards Mr. Edwards no Mr. Elie Mr. Elie no Mr. Miss Escobar Miss Escobar I Mr. Espayot Mr. Espayot I Mr. Fleshman Mr. Fleshman no Miss Frankle Miss Frankle I Mr. Franklin Mr. Franklin no Mr. Gonzalez Mr. Guest Mr. Guest no Mr. Mr. Harter. Mr. Harter. I Dr. Harris.
▶ 4:17:59Dr. Harris. No. Mrs. Henson. Mrs. Henson. No. Mr. A Nantucket. I Mr. Hoyer. I Mr. Ivy. Mr. Ivy. I Mr. Joyce. Miss Captor. Miss Captor. I Mr. Loa. Mr. Loa. No. Miss Lee. Miss Lee. I Miss Llo. Miss Llo. No. Mr. Lean. Mr. Leven. I. Miss Mallaloy. Miss Mallaloy. No. Miss McCullum.
▶ 4:18:29Miss Miss Ming. I Mr. Molinar. Mr. Molinar. No. Mr. Moore. Mr. Morelli. Mr. Morelli. I Mr. Murvan. Mr. Mvan. I. Mr. New House. Mr. New House. No. Miss. Perez. Miss. Perez. I Miss Pingri. Miss Pingri. I. Mr. Pokean. Mr. Pokean. I Mr. Quigley. Hi. Mr. Quigley. I Mr. Mr. Russianthaler. Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers. No. Mr. Ruford.
▶ 4:18:59Mr. Ruford. No. Mr. Simpson. Mr. Simpson. No. Mr. Strong. Mr. Strong. No. Miss. Torres. Mrs. Torres. I. Miss Underwood. Mr. Valido. Mr. Valido. No. Miss Wasimman Schultz. Miss. Wasman Schultz. I. Mrs. Watson Coleman. Mrs. Watson Coleman. I. Mr. Wac. Mr. WAC. No. Mr. Zinci. Mr. Zinci. No. Are there any members? uh wishing to record or change their mode. Gentleman from Texas.
▶ 4:19:29I do not believe the gentleman is Mr. Gonzalez, no. Gentleman from Missouri. Mr. Alford, no. Gentleman from Florida. Mr. Bart, no. Mr. Gentleman from Texas. Mr. Quay. I gentleman from Georgia. Mr. Clyde. No. The gentleman from Ohio. Mr. Joyce, no. Gentleman from West Virginia. Mr. Moore, no. Gentle lady from Illinois.
▶ 4:19:59Miss Underwood. I gentleman from Pennsylvania. Mr. Russianthaler. No. Are there others? Wishing to record or change their vote. Seeing none, the clerk will tally. Mr. Chairman, can I have a floor? Yes. Gentleman's recognized if if it please. The chairman. I see Miss Underwood has come back in the hall. She has been recorded. I I know she has.
▶ 4:20:27Um earlier today, um uh in response to a Wasiman Schultz amendment, she asked me a question and I just I it's on my heart to say to her, I apologize if I sounded condescending, snarky, or smart elicky. That was certainly not my intent.
▶ 4:20:49I was simply trying to convey that I knew you didn't agree with a lot of the votes that we had already taken place and the word came out understand which might have sounded like an insult to your intelligence and that was not my intent. So I just I I could have said that to you personally uh but I made that comment in front of this entire committee and I felt like an apology was in order for the entire committee. So thank you. Thank you. I yield.
▶ 4:21:19Thank you. Just so my friends on the other side of the aisle know, to us it sounded just like he always sounds. So we we didn't even recognize it. Let that just be a lesson. Don't ask me a wonky question. It's because you're going to get uh the potential for a very wonky answer. Okay.
▶ 4:21:41On this vote, the eyes are 27, the nose are 33, and the amendment is not The gentleman from Illinois, Mr. Quigley, is recognized for the purposes of an amendment. Uh, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have amendment at the desk. I ask the reading be dispensed with. Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with, and the gentleman is recognized for remarks on his amendment. Uh, Mr. Chairman, I do want to recognize Chairman Wulmach's remarks.
▶ 4:22:08And, uh, as co-chair of the snark con uh, caucus, I do appreciate what he had to say. Uh, but this amendment would restore funding for the pro housing, also known as pathways to removing obstacles program. I'm offering this amendment because we all know the housing is the cost of housing is too high. Uh, it's the American dream, but for too many of our constituents, the dream's out of reach.
▶ 4:22:34In the 1980s, the typical firsttime home buyer was in their late 20s. Today, the median age for first-time buyers is 38 and rising. In my home city of Chicago, the medium home price is now $350,000.
▶ 4:22:54That requires an income of roughly $90,000 a year and the median income is Make no mistake, high mortgages and rents increase homelessness, too. But as the house of cause, as the cost of housing goes up, fewer people can afford their rent, landing them on the street and further relying on government But why are housing prices so high? It's simple. The most important reason is we're not building enough housing.
▶ 4:23:25We are facing a housing shortage of approximately 5 million units according to Brookkins. There are a lot of reasons we've stopped building housing. One of them is, as my colleagues on both sides agree on, is red tape. The National Association of Homebuilders estimates regulations account for almost 24% of the average sale price of a single family home. For multifamily housing, it's 40%.
▶ 4:23:55Federal government cannot and should not tell state and local governments what to do. But local elected officials from all over the country in blue and red states has said that housing costs and the need to build are the number one challenge and that federal funds offered as to remove some of the regulations stopping housing construction are needed. This is exactly what the pro housing program has been doing and can continue to do if we support it.
▶ 4:24:23It's a small pot of money relatively 100 million. It has provided grants to dozens of local governments to change their zoning regulations to allow for construction more housing. Just some of those locations, San Francisco, Austin, Cincinnati, Detroit, Norman, Oklahoma, Oakland, Portland, Oregon, St.
▶ 4:24:42Louis, Toledo, Tucson, Sacramento, Long Beach, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, and The inability to build housing is no longer only a problem for blue cities. We are facing a housing crisis across the country and we need every tool in the toolbox to fix it. This is a modest program that leverages a small pot of funds to generate outsiz housing productions. I want to close by asking three things of my colleagues.
▶ 4:25:12vote for this amendment. Work with me to find a pay for for this critical program and work with me and our Senate colleagues on a package of improvements to the program. I am working with Senator Shots who is uh looking for a Republican partner on ways to strengthen this program. We're interested in ensuring resources spark not just regulatory changes, but actual new housing starts outcome, not just inputs. With that, I encourage my colleagues to vote for this amendment.
▶ 4:25:42I am not going to ask for a recorded vote, but encourage your I thank the gentleman. Uh, gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Warmarmac, is recognized to respond to the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And for a minute, I thought he was going to offer and withdraw, but um, no such luck. But it's good that you're not going to ask for a u a recorded vote.
▶ 4:26:03Um, first and foremost, the the as I've said many times, our challenge here is it exceeds our allocation and if adopted would prevent us from being able to go to the floor. As my good friend knows, we have not funded the FY24 or 25 this program and the FY24 25 House bills. It's a creation really of the Senate THUD committee and something we accepted in conference uh and was a fact of life inclusion in the FY25 fullyear CR.
▶ 4:26:32So that's a consequence of CRS rather than what I consider to be good faith negotiations. So I agree with the intent of the program. It's nice to have uh when compared to the rental assistance and supportive set aides we necessarily fund in the bill. I don't want to sound like a broken record. We have a tight allocation, but I maintain that this bill takes the right approach in funding the safety and essential HUD services necessary to care for our nation's most vulnerable.
▶ 4:27:02It trims the fat at HUD and to bust our allocation for this increase would be irresponsible. I urge a no vote. I Thank the gentleman. Are there other members wishing to address the amendment? The gentleman from Maryland is recognized. I was going to bring this up earlier. Watchman Schultz, but she was closing, so I didn't have the opportunity to do maybe I just need to speak up.
▶ 4:27:33As I said, Mr. Chairman, I was going to bring this up before because I think it's relevant to the entire committee and the chairman of the subcommittee just said we have limited allegations. I made that comment when I spoke about the amendment I offered. I get that. But what I think is important to bring up which does not relate directly to the gentleman's amendment but it relates to every amendment and it relates to our Mr.
▶ 4:28:02Lean mentioned it a little earlier either yesterday or it's reported today. Something that all of you ought to be very concerned about. All of us ought to be concerned about it is about Mr.
▶ 4:28:24Vote who believes he is the first and final arbiter of how much is spent and all of us ought to be concerned about that. I will tell you if it was Shelanda Young had said this I would be saying the same thing. First of all, I'm going to quote him.
▶ 4:28:50There is no there is no voter in the country that went to the polls and said quote I'm voting for bipartisan appropriation process. That's quote vote. He'd be very happy about this committee at this point in time because unfortunately we aren't very bipartisan. Vote then went on to say that may be the view of some thing that appropriators want to maintain.
▶ 4:29:20He didn't say Democratic appropriators. He said appropriators would want to The story goes on. He did however acknowledged the federal spending power lies with Congress.
▶ 4:29:35He said I quote again a vote it is one of the most constitutional foundational principles but that power of the purse does not mean and dash interposed it is a ceiling it is not a in other words what he is saying is send me a 302A and I'll damn well decide how to spend
▶ 4:30:07Now, if that if that's what this committee is and we don't oppose that as a committee, then I just assume resign. vote reiterated his view that the president president that of Donald Trump that the 51-year-old empowerment control act which bars the president from withholding congressionally approved funds without asking Congress is
▶ 4:30:37Vote believes that it is his decision, obviously the president's decision to decide exactly what we're going to And if we appropriate $100 for an item that we think is very important and he wants to spend $10 on it, he believes that constitutionally is If we believe that, again, I don't want
▶ 4:31:07to be on this committee. The Constitution clearly says we raise and we spend. And I don't want to be told, Mr. Hoyer, I know this project was very important to you. You appropriated $100 in your bill. The Senate voted for $100. The president signed $100, but guess what?
▶ 4:31:30We're only going to spend 10 A, I think we ought to be more bipartisan, but certainly certainly in terms of the integrity of this committee, we ought to be very bipartisan on saying to Mr. Vote, "Mr. Vote, if we say you spend $100, you spend it." Now, we've made a provision, Mr.
▶ 4:31:56Vote, and we're probably going to pass it that uh you can come back and say, "No, we think we only spend 80." and if we approve that, you can do that. But if he thinks it's a unilateral power because he thinks the empoundment resolution uh is is uh not constitutional. So I think Mr.
▶ 4:32:25Chairman, we need to deal with that as a committee. As I say, I'm he just said this, which is why I'm bringing it up today. But if we have any sense of integrity of this committee, the Constitution, and the Congress of the United States, we ought to make it very clear to Mr. Vote that we don't agree with that view. Maybe, Mr. Chairman, I'll talk to you and maybe we can offer a resolution to that effect from this committee.
▶ 4:32:54And I would hope it would be bipartisan. Because if it's not, then we're just like the budget committee giving the administration a 302A and you decide how you're going to spend it. I support the gentleman's amendment. Good job.
▶ 4:33:19Uh is there further debate on the If not, the gentleman's recognized for one minute to close. Apparently, u no one voted for vote. Uh but I encourage you to support this Questions now on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Illinois. All those in favor say I. All those opposed say no.
▶ 4:33:45The opinion of the chair, the nos have and the amendment is not agreed to. Gentleman from Illinois, Mr. Quigley is recognized for the purposes of an Thank you again, Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at the desk. I ask unanimous consent to again dispense with the Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentleman's recognized for remarks on his amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Again, my amendment would strike the funds in the thud bill that have been transferred from the bipartisan infrastructure law.
▶ 4:34:16Uh, as we remember, four years ago, a bipartisan group, we passed the first dramatic infrastructure bill in decades, the infrastructure investment and jobs act. And it was sorely needed. Our allies, our competitors, our adversaries are outspending us on infrastructure 3 to one to four one right now.
▶ 4:34:38America was spending billions a year making repairs to already outdated projects while our competitors were making major investments in electric vehicles, highspeed rail, and automated porch. The IIGJ was about making sure our country was again on the cutting edge of transportation infrastructure, which has countless economic and national security So, we all have to be concerned that instead of building on IIGJA's historic
▶ 4:35:10the 2016 TUD bill is depleting it. Specifically, the majority bill transfers or repurposes $4.4 billion of these funds to cover massive budget holes created from, frankly, an inadequate bill allocation. This depleting of the infrastructure bill funds to make up for annual appropriations funding comes at a significant cost to our constituents and our economy.
▶ 4:35:36Cutting off funding to the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program alone is estimated to eliminate 13,000 infrastructure jobs. And those aren't just in blue states. Texas, California, and Florida are the top three. My home region of the Midwest is not immune. Pennsylvania and Ohio will lose out on 37 and $30 million in funding, respectfully.
▶ 4:36:00In rail, the THUG bill takes $2.8 billion from IIGJA's federal state partnership program. This is going to undercut the completion of capital projects that reduce the state of good repair backlog and improve the performance of our railroads.
▶ 4:36:18I've seen these benefits benefit uh uh these funds benefit Union Station in Chicago which is the launch point of Amtrak service to western states but fed state partnerships funds have also benefited projects like Amtrak to Long Island Long Island, New York and the corridor enhancement project in Malta, Montana. You may be picking up on something. The infrastructure law stands by its name.
▶ 4:36:45It is benefiting red and blue states alike because making sure our infrastructure is safe, reliable, and modern is the best interest of all Americans and it's the smart thing to do. Doing the opposite of that, which is what the current tihood bill proposes, I think we're going to look back with severe regret. I strongly oppose rating the bipartisan investments in the original bill to make up for zeroing out of discretionary programs in the TUD bill. I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting it.
▶ 4:37:15Thank the gentleman. The gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Wulmarmac, is recognized to respond to the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I rise in opposition to the amendment. Uh, once again, it exceeds the allocation and if adopted would keep us from going to the floor.
▶ 4:37:31While my subcommittee members are well aware of some of the decisions we made in here, I think it's important for everyone in here to understand why we included these transfers in the bill. It begins with the fact that we are under fiscal We have to look at all of the resources out there, what's available to meet the missions of our agencies.
▶ 4:38:02And so for DOT, the 21 infrastructure law, the IIGJ provided $185 billion in advanced appropriations. That was $ 37 billion a year over five years. Got another year to go. Now, we're in the final year of this infrastructure bill.
▶ 4:38:24Some of the programs, and I don't think there's anybody in this room that would argue that some of these programs have been transformational in nature. I'll give it that. that there are too many programs in this bill that were there to curry political or overfunded relative to demand for the program by our states and So we took that into consideration.
▶ 4:38:53Now to illustrate my point, think about this. when when you're looking at the resources available and you see in these IIG some of these IIGJ programs 10 15 20% levels of obligation in the final year of this five-year bill.
▶ 4:39:17So the question for my subcommittee and for me what could we do better with the money that's available? That's that's why in this 4.4 billion we redirected the Nevi formula stuff. Only 15% of the 5 billion for the EV formula program had been obligated.
▶ 4:39:42Uh, we took controversial reconnecting communities program money and put it toward tribal transportation. We took the culvert removal and replacement program and put those dollars toward another emerging national issue. I don't think there's anybody in this room that could argue that we have a truck parking problem in this country. You get on an interstate anywhere at dusk and just look at the exit ramps. It's a safety issue.
▶ 4:40:11Only 23% of that money, culvert removal, had been obligated. And we redirected the overfunded fed state partnership intercity passenger rail program toward the popular and un underfunded consolidated rail infrastructure, the Chrissy grant. So, we can argue about it. I mean, we can and that's what these debates are about.
▶ 4:40:32I would challenge anybody in here to make a plausible argument that what we're trying to do under a limited with this $4.4 billion that we've taken from IIGJ um is irresponsible. I if money were no object, we do it all. We we'd have that ferry program. We'd we'd we'd do everything. But money is an object. Money is an object.
▶ 4:41:01And I care about what goes on in Quigley's district and and other other districts. I I truly do. But this is expensive stuff and we have an allocation that we have to abide by and and I want to honor that. So I'm going to ask uh my colleagues to join me in opposition to this amendment. I yield The gentlemen uh are there additional members? Gentleman from South Carolina is recognized to address the amendment.
▶ 4:41:31Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this The job of the appropriations committee is to carefully consider the needs of our constituents and communities and the investments we need to make in safety and in the greater good. It is a hard job because I know we do not have unlimited resources. We make hard choices in this committee.
▶ 4:42:00Just like any family in America, we must make hard decisions around the kitchen table and about how they spend their hard-earned money. I believe there are sincere concerns on both sides of the aisle about the rise in debt in this country.
▶ 4:42:23But that said, we clearly have fundamental differences in how Democrats and Republicans want to solve the debt problem. I do not believe cuts to domestic spending are always the answer. And I do not believe we should be balancing the budget on the backs of our most vulnerable. Despite this, House Republicans just voted for the big ugly bill.
▶ 4:42:52And now we are here again listening to the majority tell us that these domestic spending cuts are necessary for fiscal In this T- HUD bill, not only do we have a woefully low allocation, but we have a new gimmick using another target, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, raiding the historic investments the Congress
▶ 4:43:23made in our The IIGJA was a historic infusion of funds to improve infrastructure and the economy. And these funds have already started improving roads and rail safety across the country. And they created thousands of jobs.
▶ 4:43:46It takes time to invest billions of dollars when you're trying to change things and we are trying uh to rehab communities. There was an old adage that all of us grew up on. Measure twice and cut once was the old adage. And that's what many communities are trying to do.
▶ 4:44:13Rather than gobbling up the money, people are taking their times in these communities. I know that's what we're doing in South Carolina and we do it in a bipartisan way. I have a very partisan governor who is a Republican.
▶ 4:44:28He's one of my best When we work together, this partisan Democrat, do what is necessary for the people of South Carolina, not to spend money just to be spending it, but to access the needs in these communities. As NASA said, measured twice and cut once.
▶ 4:44:50And yet the majority of bills cut into the IGA by quote unquote IIGA funds that are on the ground already or will be imminently available to our communities with the fiscical year 26 advanced appropriations. Redirecting these funds to pay our base bills does not help our communities. It short changes them yet again.
▶ 4:45:21And for these reasons, I already yes vote on this amendment and I yield back the balance of my time. I thank the gentleman. The gentle lady from Connecticut, Mr. Laura is recognized to address the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would suggest to everyone that we would not be under any fiscal constraint if we didn't and folks didn't vote for $4.5 trillion dollars in tax cuts for the wealthiest people in this nation and the biggest corporations.
▶ 4:45:48And secondly, with regard to the last uh debate that we were having, I have been speaking about a lawless administration probably for all of you that it's adnauseium. I will continue to do that because the president is not running an appropriations bill and suggesting what we do. But it is Russ vote and it is because they want to decimate, eviscerate and end the appropriations committee and get rounded in some way. Let's use reconciliation. Let's use whatever uh uh uh nomenclature you want to and whatever it is.
▶ 4:46:18But it is about doing in this committee. I for one am not going to do in this committee as I fought with my own administration in the last go round when we talked about aortionments and letting us know what was going on. We need to stand up for what this committee stands for. Thaddius Stevens, Thaddius Stevens would not have sat there and said nothing about what this administration and particularly what Russ Vote is doing to this to this committee.
▶ 4:46:45I rise in support of this amendment uh to strike all transfers in this legislation because it yes it steals funding from the infrastructure investment and jobs act the bipartisan infrastructure law passed during the Biden administration. the most significant investment in our nation's critical infrastructure to in decades. 60,000 projects to date announced as part of this bill.
▶ 4:47:1010,000 bridges, 500 ports, waterways, 1100 airport modernization projects, 175,000 miles of roadway repairs and improvements. You know, many of my our Republican colleagues uh voted against the bill since taking credit for these projects in their own districts, even though they did vote against the bill. And just to quote David Obi, he used to say that that is posing for holy pictures if we remember that. People who don't vote for it but then go out and take credit for it.
▶ 4:47:38Uh that's because the benefits are undeniable. The American Society of Civil Engineers found that on average each American household saves $700 per year when IA funding becomes the new baseline for infrastructure investment. The bill we considered today takes us taking the funding from bipartisan priorities, bipartisan priorities. Amtrak investments, the reconnected loan and grant program for rural broadband, national electric vehicle infrastructure program.
▶ 4:48:09All of their priorities are responding to real challenges. Amtrak is a crucial uh commuter and business transportation link for millions of Americans. It moves people safely and affordably while also reducing traffic and wear on our major highways, cannibalizing $2.3 billion from the fed state partisan uh uh partnership for inner city passenger rail program in order to fund Amtrak's annual grants jeopardizes critical repair
▶ 4:48:39and maintenance projects throughout the country. Redirecting funds in this way will delay or permanently stop progress on projects that make our trains safer, faster, and more reliable. The IIGJA's federal state partnership funding has supported the Amtrak to Long Island in Representative Lelot's district. It provided $15 million for a corridor enhancement project in Malta Ma Montana, Mr. Zinci's uh district.
▶ 4:49:08It it it really is this is lifeblood that we're giving up because some individual who's got a title of the office of management and budget director has made a decision that this is the direction that we should go in. Speaking of speed, the USDA Reconnect program has invested over 4.5 billion dollars in bringing broadband internet speeds to rural areas, helping people connect to a modern economy. Many of these projects are in Republican states and districts.
▶ 4:49:37So, I am mystified. Are you receiving complaints that your constituents internet speeds are too fast? Make no mistake, the longer we delay investing in electric vehicle infrastructure through programs like NEVI, the larger a lead that chi uh that China will be able to take in building these next generation vehicles.
▶ 4:49:59You know, it is um no no no one here is asking people to give up gasoline cars, but cutting funding for electric infrastructure investments is like insisting that Henry Ford should have simply made faster horses. The bipartisan infrastructure law made crucial investments in the foundation of our economy in order to be able to bring down the cost of living.
▶ 4:50:25If we take those investments away, Americans will all pay the price. Our economy pays the price. Our future pays the price. Our innovation and our leading in innovation in this in in this world to date will pay the price. I'm proud to uh speak to this amendment. I urge my colleagues to support it. I thank you very much and I yield back. Thank you. Thank the gentle lady.
▶ 4:50:52Are there other members wishing to address the There's no further uh debate than the gentleman is recognized for one minute to close. Thanks again, Mr. Chairman. I encourage you to support this amendment. And now 55 seconds on our debt and deficit, which I tend to do once a year. There are a few people in this room who voted for Cooper Lerette, the late Mr. Lerette and Jim Cooper's bill. That was Simpson BS. I was one of 36.
▶ 4:51:22So it was the only in my time here comprehensive way of looking at the debt and deficit. So uh for those who want to follow up on this, the Center for a Responsible Federal Budget is working with us again and we're going to try again. But the reality of the situation is if you're going to do this, it has to be big, balanced, and bipartisan. and it has to have cuts and revenues.
▶ 4:51:49And frankly, we've gone in the wrong direction with the most recent bill on that. So, uh, you know, I I'll put my vote where my mouth is on this. I encourage you to join me on that. In the meantime, I would appreciate your support on this Thank gentlemen. The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Illinois. All those in favor say I. All those opposed say no.
▶ 4:52:17opinion the chair the nose have it roll call has been requested could we have a show of hands sufficient show of hands uh having occurred the clerk will call the role Mr. Adder Holt Mr. Adder Halt no Mr. Aguilar Mr. Aguilar I Mr. Alford Mr. Alford no Mr. Ammeday Mr. Ammeday no Mrs. Bice Mrs. Bice no Mr. Bishop Mr. Bishop I Mr. Calbertt Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter. No. Mr. Casease.
▶ 4:52:47Mr. Casease. I Mr. Sisammani. Mr. Sisammani. No. Mr. Klein. Mr. Klene. No. Mr. Cloud. Mr. Cloud. No. Mr. Clyurn. Mr. Clyburn. I Mr. Clyde. Mr. Clyde. No. Mr. Cole. Mr. Cole. No. Mr. Quayar. Mr. Quayar. I. Miss Dean. Miss Dean. I. Mr. Deloro. Mr. Loro. I. Mr. Diaz Bollard. Mr. Diaz Bolard. No. Mr. Edwards. Mr. Edwards. No. Mr. Ellie.
▶ 4:53:18Miss Escobar. Miss Escobar. I. Mr. Espayot. Mr. Espayott. I. Mr. Fleshman. Mr. Fleshman. No. Miss. Frankle. Miss. Frankle. I. Mr. Franklin. Mr. Franklin. No. M. Gonzalez. Mr. Guest. Mr. Guest. No. Mr. Harter. Mr. Harter. I. Dr. Harris. Dr. Harris. No. Mrs. Henson. Mrs. Henson. No. Mr. Mr. Hoyer.
▶ 4:53:50Mr. Hoyer. I Mr. Ivy. Mr. Ivy. I Mr. Joyce. Mr. Joyce. No. Miss Captor. Miss Captor. I Mr. Loa. Miss Lee. Miss Llo. Miss Llo. No. Mr. Leven. Mr. Leven. I. Miss Mallaloy. Miss Mallaloy. No. Miss McCullum. Miss Ming. Miss Ming. I Mr. Molinar. Mr. Molinar. No. Mr. Mr. Morelli.
▶ 4:54:21Mr. Morelli. I Mr. Morvan. Mr. Murvan. I Mr. New House. Mr. New House. No. Miss. Perez. Miss. Perez. I Miss Pingri. Miss Pingri. I. Mr. Pokean. Mr. Pokean. I Mr. Quigley. Mr. Quigley. I Mr. Russianthaler. Mr. Russianthaler. No. Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers. No. Mr. Ruford. Mr. Rufford. No. Mr. Simpson. Mr. Simpson. No. Mr. Strong. Mr. Strong. No. Miss Torres. Mrs. Torres. I Miss Underwood. Mr.
▶ 4:54:51Valido. Mr. Valido. No. Mrs. Washerman Schultz. Miss Wasserman Schultz. I Mrs. Watson Mrs. Watson Coleman. I Mr. Wac. Mr. Wack. No. Mr. Zinci. Mr. Zinci. No. Are there any members wishing to vote or to change their vote? Gentleman from West Virginia. Mr. Moore. No. Gentleman from Texas. Mr. Else. No. Gentle lady from Nevada. Miss Lee.
▶ 4:55:21I. Gentle lady from Illinois. Miss Underwood. I gentleman from Arizona. I do not. Mr. Ciscomania is recorded as a no. Oh, gentleman is recorded. Uh, are there others wishing to be recognized or to change their votes? Seeing none, the clerk will tally.
▶ 4:56:02Welcome back. On this vote, the eyes are 27, the nose are 32.
▶ 4:56:31The amendment is not adopted. As the members can see, voting has begun on the floor. Uh so I would suggest that we recess. Uh I would ask that as soon as the last vote is completed. I think it's a series of three votes that you come back here as quickly as you possibly can. We'll resume. We're going to have quite a bit of voting in the rest of the day going forward. So we're going to have to go through this sort of back and forth. So I would really appreciate it if you can get back as quickly as possible.
▶ 4:57:01We will begin as soon as a quorum is present after the votes. So keep that in mind. The committee stands in recess subject to the call of the chair.
▶ 6:19:34The committee is uh reconvened. I really want to thank all of you for getting back so quickly. I appreciate it. We obviously we have a lot to do, but thank you for cooperating. Uh, gentle lady from California, Miss Torres, is recognized for an amendment. Mr. Chairman, um, I ask unanimous consent to dispense with the reading of the amendment. Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with. The gentle lady is recognized for remarks on her Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 6:20:05I rise today to offer an important amendment directing the administration to provide timely notice to Congress of terminations or firings of personnel at the FAA. When personnel changes happen at the FAA, especially when it comes to technicians and other support staff that support our air traffic controllers, they can have wide ranging implications.
▶ 6:20:32These decisions may affect regulatory enforcement, air traffic operations, or even the integrity of safety That's why Congress must be kept informed. We are not asking for control over personnel actions, but simply the transparency needed to do our job responsibly.
▶ 6:20:52This amendment simply requires that Congress be notified promptly when a firing occurs and that we receive an explanation of the reasons behind it and I yield back. I thank the gentle lady. Uh Chairman Warmarmac is recognized to respond to the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I rise in opposition to the amendment.
▶ 6:21:14This bill that we are considering today has adequate resources to staff every safety related position in the agency and it's important for us to perform reasonable oversight to ensure the FAA uses this funding to maintain the staffing necessary to ensure the safety and efficiency of the national airspace system. However, think about this.
▶ 6:21:41We want Congress to be notifi not notified of all these staffing decisions made by an agency of over 40,000 That's a lot more than just oversight. An agency, any agency of this size, makes routine staffing decisions based on performance, waste, fraud, abuse, policy violations, safety concerns. The list goes on and on.
▶ 6:22:10When adverse action is taken, FAA employees, just like other federal employees, have a lot of recourse available to them, including congressionally mandated whistleblower reporting processes if an employee believes such an action would impact safety or is being taken FAA has several offices that routinely review adverse personnel actions in addition to the unions that represent a large segment of the FAA
▶ 6:22:41workforce. The FAA and this committee do not need the burden of this amendment. So, I'm going to ask all of my colleagues to think clearly about what this amendment would actually do and uh join me in voting in opposition to its passage. I yield. Thank the gentleman. The gentleman from South Carolina is recognized to respond to the amendment. Oh, okay.
▶ 6:23:07Um, are there any members wishing to address the amendment? If there Yeah. gentleman from Maryland's I understand what the chairman said. Uh, but this is a time like I have not experienced in my 45 years here.
▶ 6:23:30um with wholesale and I will tell you I represent 77,000 federal employees and you won't sell them that they have all these appeal rights because they've been rifted um wholesale.
▶ 6:23:44So I think it is important for us to know how many at what agencies for instance the department of education court initially held you can't do it uh you can't eliminate the department without our uh participation but if you riff in effect 95% of their population their FDEEs you have essentially eliminated so I think there is some importance in knowing
▶ 6:24:14how many people have been uh uh eliminated. It's I I don't mean personnel actions because that's you know one here, two here, five here, 10 here, whatever, but I mean wholesale. So I think there is merit in the lady's amendment and I would certainly support it. I thank the gentleman. Are there other members wishing to address the Seeing none, the gentle lady is recognized for one minute to close. Uh thank you, Mr.
▶ 6:24:43Chairman, I hate to disappoint uh the chairman of my subcommittee. This we're not trying to be the shop steward of um the federal uh government employees with this amendment. I've raised this issue directly with both the FAA and Secretary Duffy.
▶ 6:25:01Yet, we continue to see the use of deferred resignation uh program forcing employees out of the agency with zero transparency and zero Members, planes are falling from the sky. They're crashing into each other.
▶ 6:25:20And we are finding out later that people that have been fired or allowed to retire um have we have scrambled back to try to get them to return to work. So we can't continue down this path. This is a basic oversight measure to ensure that public trust isn't undermined by behind the scenes personnel actions.
▶ 6:25:46I urge a yes vote on the amendment and I yield I thank the gentle lady. The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentle lady from California. All those in favor say I. All those opposed say no. The opinion of the chair. The nos have Roll call has been requested. Is there sufficient number of hands?
▶ 6:26:13Seeing that there is sufficient number of hands, the clerk will call the role. Mr. Adhalt, Mr. Aguilar. Mr. Alford. Mr. Alford. No. Mr. Ammeday. Mrs. Spice. Mr. Bishop. Mr. Bishop. I. Mr. Calbertt. Mr. Calbert. No. Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter. No. Mr. Casease. Mr. Sisammani. Mr. Sisammani. No. Mr. Klene. Mr. Klene. No. Mr.
▶ 6:26:43Cloud Mr. Klyber Mr. Klyber I Mr. Clyde Mr. Clyde No Mr. Cole Mr. Cole no Mr. Quayar Mr. Quay I miss Dean Mr. Luro Mr. Luro I Mr. Diaz Bolard Mr. Diaz Bolard no Mr. Edwards Mr. Edwards no Mr. Elie Miss Escobar Mr. Espayat Mr. Espayat I Mr. Fleshman Mr. Mr. Flashman. No. Miss Frankle.
▶ 6:27:15Mr. Franklin. Mr. Franklin. No. Mr. Mr. Guest. Mr. Harter. Hi. Mr. Harter. I Dr. Harris. Dr. Harris. No. Mrs. Henson. Mrs. Henson. No. Mr. Mr. Hoyer. I Mr. Ivy. Mr. Ivy. I Mr. Joyce. Miss Captor. Mr. Loa. No. Mr. Loa. No.
▶ 6:27:41Miss Lee, Miss Lllo, Miss Llo, No, Mr. Lean. Mr. Leven, I Miss Malloy, Miss Mallaloy, no. Miss McCullum, Miss McCullum, I Miss Ming. Mr. Molinar, Mr. Molinar, no. Mr. Moore, Mr. Moore, no. Mr. Melli, Mr. Morelli, I Mr. Morvan, Mr. Mvan, I Mr. New House. Mr. New House, no.
▶ 6:28:07Miss Perez, Miss Pingri, Miss Pingri, I Mr. Pokean, Mr. Quigley, Mr. Quigley. I Mr. Rashenthaler. Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers. No. Mr. Ruford. Mr. Rutherford. No. Mr. Simpson. Mr. Simpson. No. Mr. Strong. Mr. Strong. No. Miss. Torres. Mrs. Torres. I. Miss. Underwood. Miss Underwood. I. Mr. Mr. Valado. No. Miss Wasserman Schultz.
▶ 6:28:38Mrs. Watson Coleman. Mrs. Watson Coleman. I Mr. WAC. Mr. Wack. No. Mr. Zinci. Mr. Zinci. No. Are there members wishing to record or change our vote? The gentleman from Mr. Elsie. No. Gentleman from Nevada. Mr. Amade. No. Uh, gentle lady from Texas. Gentle lady from Nevada. I. Miss. Gentle lady from Washington. Gentle lady from Florida.
▶ 6:29:08Miss Perez. I gentleman from Texas. Gentleman from California. Mr. Aguular. Did he vote I? He voted I. Mr. Aguilar. I are there other gentle lady from Ohio. Thank you. Gentle lady from Florida. Are there other members wishing to record or change their votes?
▶ 6:29:38Seeing none, the clerks will tally in the interim. Is Mr. McCullum still here? Did she step back out? I'll wait till she gets back. Gentle lady from Oklahoma. Did you get Yeah. Mrs. Bice? No. Are there a gentleman from Wisconsin? Mr. Pokean I. And are there other We're about to close the tally.
▶ 6:30:06Are there other members wishing to record or change their votes? I think gentle lady from New Jersey. Yes. Okay. All right. Clerk will tally. Uh before you say something, let me say something before we announce the vote.
▶ 6:30:36Uh I want us to applaud our good friends, Mr. Calbert from California, Miss McCulla from uh Minnesota who have been on the floor attending to important business for this committee and have, you know, had to miss a lot of votes. So I just want to tell you collectively how much we appreciate you guys pushing the process along. Now, gentle lady also had a comment or a Gentle lady is recorded, I believe.
▶ 6:31:07You're record. I'm glad you did. Again, there any others? I don't see any others. Okay.
▶ 6:31:55Yeah. No, it's all right. A little bit of confusion. On this vote, the eyes are 25, the nose are 30, and the amendment is not
▶ 6:32:28Mr. Torres is recognized uh for an I ask unanimous consent to dispense with the reading of the amendment. Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentle lady is recognized for remarks on her amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 6:32:43As a member of Congress representing the Inland Empire, a region experiencing rapid growth and facing significant infrastructure challenges, I know firsthand how critical it is to have programs that help communities plan and deliver infrastructure projects efficiently and effectively.
▶ 6:33:03I offer this amendment to invest 10 million in the regional infrastructure accelerator program which has become a crucial tool for communities like mine. The accelerator provides essential technical assistance and early stage planning support to help local and regional leaders turn infrastructure projects from concepts into shovel ready realities.
▶ 6:33:29It's a program that enables local leaders to tr to tap into federal resources more effectively and ensures that vital investments can move forward. This program enjoys strong bipartisan support and delivers results nationwide, including in Republican le states like Louisiana, which most recently received 2 million through the accelerator program to help advance regional transportation projects that serve rural communities.
▶ 6:34:00That's exactly the kind of local empowerment and impact that we need in regions like the Inland Empire. I want to say that when I first introduced uh this program, I was really looking at my community, but it was so successful that 20 other states and many many members uh both Republicans and Democrats um took advantage and and um their communities were funded.
▶ 6:34:24Unfortunately, my community did not receive a single penny and um going at it again and hopefully this time we will be more successful. And with that, I request uh support for this uh bipartisan amendment and I yield back. Thank the gentle lady. The gentleman from Arkansas, Chairman Wulmarmac, is recognized to respond to the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, gentle lady from California, she may want to sit down because I support this amendment.
▶ 6:35:01for for a couple of reasons. To be fair, the program she's talking about, the regional infrastructure accelerator program is indeed an innovative financing program for regional transportation projects that utilize public private partnership models. And I think it's a fantastic program, but also because unlike some of her colleagues in previous amendments, she has found an offset.
▶ 6:35:32And so, um, I I appreciate her commitment to fiscal accountability and helping us reduce bureaucracy. And so, I urge my colleagues to give overwhelming support to this amendment. I'm going to yield back my time. I thank the gentleman. Uh, it did cross my mind what's in this for Arkansas, but I'm not going to raise that point.
▶ 6:35:59Uh with that the g there are other amendments or other members wishing to address the amendment. Seeing none the gentle lady is recognized for one minute to close. Respectfully ask for your support and I yield back. I thank the gentle lady. The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentle lady from California. All those in favor say I. All those opposed say no. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the amendment is accepted.
▶ 6:36:33Yeah, you should applaud that. Gentle lady from California is going for two in a row. So, gentle lady is recognized for the purpose of presenting an amendment. Uh, Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to dispense with a reading of the amendment. Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with. The gentle lady's recognized for remarks on her amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 6:37:01The administration has been threatening to cut all federal funding to California and has attempted to cut funding from other states as well. My amendment makes it clear that taxpayer dollars should go to helping America thrive, not supporting political grudges.
▶ 6:37:20This amendment would simply require no funds to support political vendettas and it includes a reporting requirement and a freezing of funds to the office of the secretary if the secretary is determined to have violated this law. Efforts to cut to cut off federal funding to California or any other individual state are backwards and wrong.
▶ 6:37:43But it is especially wrong for California, which sends 83 billion billion more to Washington every single year than it gets back. And as a donor state, California subsidizes other states funding disaster relief like in Texas and infrastructure in Ohio.
▶ 6:38:03Now, according to news reports, this administration wants to punish California for vindictive political reasons by cutting the very programs the California taxpayers fund for our state. This isn't just wrong, it's truly unamerican. Every taxpayer in America sends their money to Washington for essential services, not political vendettas. We fund roads, we fund schools, we fund disaster response. We don't fund revenge.
▶ 6:38:33Let's be uh crystal clear about what is happening here. Um we all swore an oath to faithfully execute the laws and that includes the funding laws that Congress has passed. I urge my colleagues to support my amendment and I yield back. Thank the gentle lady. Uh the gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Wmach, is recognized to respond to the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Regretfully, I can't be as generous on this particular amendment. So, I rise in opposition.
▶ 6:39:04We've seen states and local jurisdictions across the country put in place policies that are counter to the desires of the American public as well as federal law. The Trump administration is taking these issues seriously and rightly reviewing how federal dollars are supporting these poor decisions that are deteriorating the way of life for many Americans. This amendment is a desire to politicize the enforcement of federal law. So, I'm going to ask my colleagues to join me in opposing this amendment and I yield back.
▶ 6:39:37Thank the gentleman. Are there other members wishing to address the Seeing none, the gentle lady is recognized for one minute to close. Chairman, uh the amendment is about all states and all taxpayers. This is about defending the constitutional principle that in America we don't punish states for their political beliefs with their own tax dollars.
▶ 6:40:03For California uh voters, they elected their state legislator legisl legislators and their representatives. It is up to California um to develop their own polit political policies, not Washington DC to dictate to California. Um because if we can't do it, if we can do it to California today, we are going to do it to any other state.
▶ 6:40:33Um just wait and see. And for those reasons, I urge an I vote. Thank the gentle lady. The uh question is now on the amendment offered by the gentle lady from California. All those in favor say I. All those opposed say no. Opinion of the chair. The nose have it. The gentle lady from California is requesting a roll call. Is there sufficient support for that? Sufficient number of hands being raised. The clerk will call the role. Mr. Adhalt.
▶ 6:41:04Mr. Adhalt. No. Mr. Aguilar. Mr. Alford. Mr. Alford. No. Mr. Mr. Mrs. Bice Mrs. Bice No Mr. Bishop Mr. Bishop I Mr. Calvert Mr. Calvert no Mr. Carter Mr. Carter no Mr. Casease Mr. Sisammani Mr. Sisamani no Mr. Klene Mr. Klene no Mr. Cloud Mr. Klyurn Mr. Klyber I Mr. Clyde Mr. Clyde no Mr.
▶ 6:41:34Cole no Mr. Cole no Mr. Quayrar Mr. Quar I miss I Mr. Lauro Mr. Loro I Mr. Diaz Bolard Mr. Diaz Bolard No Mr. Edwards Mr. Edwards no Mr. Elie Mr. Elie no Mr. Escobar Miss Escobar I Mr. Espayat Mr. Espayat I Mr. Fleshman Mr. Fleshman no Miss Frankle Miss Frankle I Mr. Franklin Mr. Franklin no Mr.
▶ 6:42:04Gonzalez. Mr. Guest. Mr. Guest. No. Mr. Harter. Mr. Harter. I Dr. Harris. Dr. Harris. No. Mrs. Henson. Mrs. Henson. No. Mr. Hoyer. Mr. Hoyer. I. Mr. Ivy. Mr. Ivy. I. Mr. Joyce. Mr. Joyce. No. Miss Captor. Miss Captor. I. Mr. Loa. Mr. Loa. No. Miss Lee. Miss Lee. I.
▶ 6:42:31Miss Miss Lllo, no. Mr. Lean, Mr. Leven, I Miss Mallaloy. Miss Mallaloy, no. Miss Miss Ming. Miss Ming. I. Mr. Molinar. Mr. Molinar. No. Mr. Moore. Mr. Moore. No. Mr. Morelli. Mr. Morelli. I. Mr. Morvan. Mr. Morvan. I. Mr. New House. Mr. New House. No. Miss. Perez. Miss Pingri. Miss. Pingri. I. Mr. Pokean.
▶ 6:43:01Mr. Pokean. I. Mr. Mr. Quigley. Mr. Quigley. I Mr. Rashinthaler. Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers. No. Mr. Rutherford. Mr. Rutherford. No. Mr. Mr. Simpson. No. Mr. Strong. Mr. Strong. No. Mrs. Torres. Mrs. Torres. I. Miss. Underwood. M. Underwood. I. Mr. Valido. Mr. Valido. No. Miss Wasserman Schultz. M. Wasserman Schultz. I Mrs. Watson Coleman. Mrs. Watson. Coleman. I. Mr. WAC. Mr. Wack.
▶ 6:43:32No. Mr. Zinci. Mr. Zinci. No. Are there members wish me are there members wishing to record a change of vote? Gentleman from Nevada. Mr. Amade. No. Gentleman from Texas. Mr. Gonzalez. Another gentleman from Texas. Mr. Cloud. No. Gentle lady from Minnesota. Miss McCullum. I. Gentleman from Hawaii. Mr. Casease. I.
▶ 6:43:59Are there other members wishing to record or change their vote? Seeing none, the clerk will tally
▶ 6:44:45On this vote, the eyes are 26, the nose are 34. The amendment is not adopted. Gentle lady from Illinois, Miss Underwood, is recognized for an I ask unanimous consent that the reading be dispensed with. Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentle lady's recognized for remarks on her amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I rise today to offer an amendment to help us better understand the impacts of recent staffing cuts at HUD.
▶ 6:45:14Our local public housing authorities are on the front lines of making sure that every American has access to safe, affordable housing. They depend on HUD's field offices and regional offices for support in this work. And those HUD offices in turn play a crucial role by conducting oversight of the local housing authorities within their regional jurisdiction.
▶ 6:45:35So I was extremely troubled to read this week that HUD Chicago office, which is already struggling with staffing shortages, will now be responsible for oversight of 65 housing authorities in Wisconsin. That's because HUD's Wisconsin office has been so severely damaged by the reckless, unprecedented staff cuts dictated by this administration that it is no longer able to fulfill its oversight duties for the state of Wisconsin.
▶ 6:46:03The public housing division at the Chicago office has already lost about 30% of its staff due to Doge resignation programs. Yet, it's now expected to manage an increase of over 60% in the number of housing authorities it oversees. That amounts to more than doubling the work for each of these civil servants. That's absurd.
▶ 6:46:26The situation has become so outrageous that the bipartisan board of the Illinois Housing Development Authority approved a resolution objecting to the Trump administration's severe cuts to HUD funding and staffing levels. So, when will my Republican colleagues in Congress admit that enough is enough? This dire staffing shortage is as bad for Wisconsin as it is for Illinois. From Kenosha to Aurora, our local public housing authorities will face longer response times from overstretched staff.
▶ 6:46:54From Oaklair to Joliet, our constituents will be at risk of unsafe substandard housing without sufficient federal oversight. as their representatives in Congress. We need to understand how this administration's attacks on HUD are affecting our constituents and our state and local partners. And that's why my amendment would require the Government Accountability Office to analyze the impacts of these cuts.
▶ 6:47:19This report will evaluate HUD's ability to enforce housing quality and safety standards and provide timely responses to housing authorities in need of support. And look, if my Republican colleagues are so confident that Doge is right, that taking a chainsaw to public services somehow makes them more efficient, then they should be excited to support this amendment and get a report proving them right. But I suspect that that's not quite what this report will find.
▶ 6:47:45Let's remember that they voted to slash GAO in half in the legislative branch funding bill. These bills hamstring our ability to do any oversight over the president and his billionaire cronies because this majority doesn't want the American people to see the harmful results of their reckless cuts. But I urge all my colleagues to vote yes on this amendment for the sake of all Illinoisans and Wisconsinites and all Americans because every family deserves a safe and affordable place to call home.
▶ 6:48:15That promise means nothing if HUD doesn't have the staff or resources to do this job. Please vote yes on this amendment and I yield back. I thank the gentle lady. The gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Wulmarmac, is recognized to respond to the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to the amendment. I've got some great news for the gentle lady from Great news. We don't need your amendment because the Office of Inspector General is already doing what you are asking.
▶ 6:48:44I'm going to read verbatim uh from the summary. And this is from the Office of Inspector General related to recent workforce reductions at HUD. Quote, "The review will highlight the HUD offices that are majorly impacted by the workforce reductions and will also summarize the demographics of employees who were terminated or resigned between January 20th, 2025 and May 31st, 2025.
▶ 6:49:12The objective of this review is to provide a status of HUD's workforce reduction efforts as of May 2025 and a snapshot of how the reduction efforts impacted the size of various offices and demographics across HUD. So I think you can see that we've already got the Office of Inspector General from HUD doing exactly what the gentle lady from Illinois is asking of GAO. So the amendment is duplicative and unnecessary. I urge a no vote. I yield.
▶ 6:49:43Thank the gentleman. Are there other members wishing to address the Seeing none, the gentle lady from Illinois is recognized for one minute to Well, I thank you, Mr. Chairman. I certainly appreciate uh the chairman, Mr. Wax's comments about the inspector general being so enthusiastic about getting this information. Unfortunately, HUD doesn't have an inspector general. Now, they have career staff, but I suspect that that office has too been gutted.
▶ 6:50:09And so, you know, while I do look forward to seeing the the results of this report, I don't know with confidence that the inspector general's office has the capacity to offer that that information in a timely way that would allow communities in Illinois and Wisconsin to know with certainty that the housing needs are being met in our region.
▶ 6:50:31So, I urge all my colleagues to support this amendment to allow the GAO to offer uh some objective feedback on the situation and please vote yes. I yield back. I thank the gentle lady. The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentle lady from Illinois. All those in favor say I. All those opposed say no. The opinion of the chair, the nos have it. Gentle lady is requesting a roll call. Sufficient show of hands having been given the clerk will call the role. Mr.
▶ 6:51:01Adhalt. Mr. Adhalt. No. Mr. Aguilar. Mr. Aguilar. I. Mr. Alford. Mr. Alford. No. Mr. Ammedday. Mr. Ammedday. No. Mrs. Spice. Mrs. Spice. No. Mr. Bishop. Mr. Bishop. I. Mr. Calbertt. Mr. Calbertt. No. Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter. No. Mr. Casease. Mr. Casease. I. Mr. Ciscomani. Mr. Klein. Mr. Klein. No. Mr. Cloud. Mr. Klyber.
▶ 6:51:31Mr. Klyber. I. Mr. Clyde. Mr. Clyde. No. Mr. Cole. No. Mr. Cole. No. Mr. Quayar. Mr. Quayrar. I. Miss Dean. Miss Dean. I. Mr. Lauro. Mr. Loro. I. Mr. Diaz Bolard. Mr. Diaz Bolard. No. Mr. Edwards. Mr. Edwards. No. Mr. Elzie. Mr. Elsie. No. Miss Escobar. Miss Escobar. I. Mr. Espayot. Mr. Espayot. I Mr. Fleshman. Mr. Flashman. No. Miss. Frankle.
▶ 6:52:02Miss. Frank. I. Mr. Franklin. Mr. Franklin. No. Mr. Gonzalez. Mr. Gonzalez. No. Mr. Guest. Mr. Guest. No. Mr. Harter. Mr. Harter. I. Dr. Harris. Mrs. Henson. Mrs. Henson. Mrs. Henson. No. Mr. Hoyer. Mr. Hoyer. I. Mr. Ivy. Mr. Joyce, Miss Captor, Miss Captor, I Mr.
▶ 6:52:32Loa, Mr. Loa, No Miss Lee, Miss Lee, I Miss Lello, Miss Llo, No, Mr. Leven, Mr. Leven, I Miss Malloy. Miss Malloy, no. Miss McCullum, Miss McCullum, I Miss Ming, Miss Ming, I Mr. Molinar, Mr. Molinar, no Mr. Moore. Mr. Melli. Mr. Morelli. I Mr. Mvani. Mr. Murvan. I Mr. New House. Mr. New House. No. Miss Perez.
▶ 6:53:02Miss Perez. I Miss Pingri. Miss Pingri. I Mr. Pokean. Mr. Pokean. I Mr. Quigley. Mr. Quigley. I. Mr. Rashenthaler. Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers. No. Mr. Ruford. Mr. Ruford. No. Mr. Simpson. Mr. Simpson. No. Mr. Strong. Mr. Strong. No. Mrs. Torres. Mrs. Torres. I. Miss Underwood. Miss Underwood. I Mr. Valido. Mr. Valido. No. Miss Wasserman Schultz. Miss Wasserman Schultz. I Mrs. Watson Coleman.
▶ 6:53:33Mrs. Watson Coleman. I Mr. Wac. Mr. Wac. No. Mr. Zinci. Mr. Zinci. No. Are there any members wishing to record or change their vote? Gentleman from Mr. Rashenthaler. No. Gentleman from New York. recorded. Okay. Sorry. Uh, gentleman from Texas. Mr. Cloud. No. Gentleman from West Virginia.
▶ 6:54:04Mr. Moore. No. Are there other members wishing to record or change their vote? Seeing none, the clerk will tally. Gentleman from Maryland. Gentleman from Ohio. Dr. Harris. No.
▶ 6:54:38Mr. Joyce. Mr. Joyce. No. Are there other members wishing to record or change their vote? Clerk will proceed with a tally. Uh Mr. Mr. Sismani is not recorded. Gentleman is not recorded. Mr. Sisammani. No. Again. Are there others wishing to change or record their vote?
▶ 6:55:07Seeing none, again, clerk will proceed. on this vote.
▶ 6:55:36The eyes are 27, the nose are 35. The amendment is not adopted. Gentlemen, gentle lady from Washington, Miss Perez, is recognized for the purpose of an amendment. Thank you. Um I live in a rural part of the country. Um some of you the gentle lady like her amendment read ask unanimous consent. Um actually let's go ahead and read the amendment please.
▶ 6:56:02Gentle lady would like her amendment Give us just a moment. An amendment offered by Miss Perez at the appropriate place in the report. Insert headlight brightness.
▶ 6:56:19The committee urges the Secretary of Transportation to report to Congress on what gaps may exist related to the impact of the brightness of lowbeam headlamps on the vision and safety of drivers, pedestrians, and other road users, including the effect of varied terrain, including hills and curves. Gentle lady is recognized to explain her Thank you, chair. Um, I don't know how many of you drive and how often.
▶ 6:56:44Um but I will tell you there is a plague in this country of headlight brightness. It is shockingly bright. If you look back um you know to H hallogen light bulbs you're reaching somewhere around 700 to,200 lumens. New LED technology these sons of get to like 12,000 lumens. It is not a binary choice between walking around in the dark um and the fire of a thousand sons.
▶ 6:57:15And the standards on this have not been reformed since before I was born. This is the only place I would be considered maybe young uh on the hill. But you know, it's it is um it is a it is a real problem. A third of Americans have a stigmatism. Um, this is a serious risk to to safety driving, to pedestrians in particular, where you're not able to see, your eyes can't dilate quickly enough to respond to a challenge in the road or to anything.
▶ 6:57:45Um, if you're on curves, if you're on roads, I am sure you have all seen this. And the the thing is, everybody thinks it's just them. They just think it's their problem. But this is actually a systemic thing that has been failed to be addressed um in a realistic um uh wholesome real world exp uh uh design accounting for the hills and the terrains and the curves not a lab in a closet somewhere but how it's actually experienced by drivers.
▶ 6:58:12Um I spoke at a transportation um uh member day hearing and um it was insane. It blew up online. It is so uh encouraging to hear what I've heard from my community um be affirmed by so many of our constituents and Americans broadly that this is something that is a real lived experience of uh deterioration in life. And I think that we've seen this increase in polarization. You've got 8% on one side and 8% on the other side that are very they just they watch CNN or they watch Fox News a lot.
▶ 6:58:42Um, this is an opportunity to demonstrate that politics is relevant and useful to the lived experience of ordinary Americans. Um, that this is not just something for a PhD in naval gazing, but it's a lived experience. We are out there driving the same cars, the same experiences. We're seeing the same things. Um, this is something that um, you know, until we are demonstrating that this body is living the same reality, um, that that we are hearing and responding. And I will also say this is not a partisan by any means. Thank you, Mr.
▶ 6:59:13Alfred, for for clapping. I appreciate you. I'll give you your $20 later. Um, but you know, it it is um you know, this is a this is not a I would not call this a pro-regulatory environment uh nationally and this is something where people are saying do something, be useful, be responsive to our experience. Um so my amendment is asking them to um give us more information on this um to create a more wholesome uh valuation.
▶ 6:59:38There's there's a known reality that um some of the manufacturers of these aftermarkets that because because the scale is graded in in points of brightness and not overall brightness um some manufacturers have even gone so far as to create dimmer cells in some parts of the headlights um so that they can have an overall higher brightness.
▶ 6:59:58Um so really looking at the overall lumens um you know there's a lot of conflating issues here how Kelvin how blue the tone of the light is the human eye perceives blue as brighter but um it's it you know you can be you know amber Kelvin whatever it is if it's 12,000 lumens it's too much um and so uh you know there's been some work on adaptive beams it it's still not reaching where we need to go um it's it's not providing the safety cars are safety
▶ 7:00:28safer, but pedestrian deaths are going up. Um, you know, automotive uh accident deaths are they're they're holding stable. Um, and this is something that I I um uh I feel passionately about and I appreciate your indulgence in listening to me.
▶ 7:00:44Um, and uh, I I would sincerely appreciate and and urge your support uh, for our body to demonstrate if we if we can't fix the small things, if we can't exercise the muscle memory of bipartisanship, he who is faithful in a small thing is faithful in a great thing also. And so to pursue um you know utility to to ordinary Americans um to keep that muscle of bipartisanship alive and and and building things I I I urge um and humbly ask for your support in this.
▶ 7:01:16Thank the gentle lady. The gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Wmach is recognized to respond to the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, I rise in support of the amendment. Again, don't get used to this.
▶ 7:01:31Um, personally, uh, I I I'm I'm I'm not an expert on on on this issue, but but we've all seen it and and it's it it is u it can cause some safety problems. And frankly, I don't think it's unreasonable for us to ask the Department of Transportation to shed a little light on this subject for us.
▶ 7:02:05So, um I'll um stop there and yield back. I I do recommend a yes vote. We'll take the report and u Thank you, Mr. Thank you. The gentleman from South Carolina is recognized to respond to the Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I want to join Chairman Wulmarmac and offer a $10 support uh for this amendment and I thank him so much for support.
▶ 7:02:33The gentle lady and I have had a discussion about this issue and I've uh I noticed that she's spoken with others uh and I think that it would be good for us to work together. work with the chairman, other colleagues because as someone who has several pair of glasses, none of which work, uh I do uh understand this issue and I'm pleased that she's bringing the issue forward for us to study and I yield back.
▶ 7:03:04I thank the gentleman. The gentleman from Nevada is recognized to address the Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Subcommittee Chairman. On behalf of people with old eyes throughout the nation, I want to express my unqualified support for the idea for my colleague from Washington State and to return this to the proper uh lane in terms of a a an appropriations committee markup discussion.
▶ 7:03:32Anybody who includes in her presentation referring to the people that own these offending headlights as sons of has my vote. Are there other members wishing to address the amendment? Okay. Uh if there is no further debate, the gentle lady from Washington is recognized for one minute to close. So pleased.
▶ 7:04:00I'm so uh appreciative and grateful for the support. Um this is a real quality of life and safety issue and I'm I'm so encouraged to to to be able to move something positive forward. Thank you very much um to the MC member and chair subcommittee chair and thank you very much. Thank the gentle lady. The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentle lady from Washington. All those in favor say I. All those opposed say no. The opinion of the chair the eyes have it and the amendment is adopted.
▶ 7:04:32Gentleman from Texas, Mr. Quayar is recognized for the purpose of an I have an amendment at the desk that is um amendment number one. Would the gentleman like the amendment and uh I would ask that we dispense with a reading. All right. Uh without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentleman is recognized for remarks on his amendment. Mr.
▶ 7:04:58Chairman, uh uh members, uh this is the same amendment that I've been offering uh so we can consider this at the proper time. Uh this amendment deals with efficiency with competition, performance and contract management. Something that I believe the oversight uh we should provide an oversight.
▶ 7:05:18Uh the first part deals uh where we should ask uh the agencies under this subcommittee uh to do annual program and operation performance based under a law that we passed in 2010. It also asked for a comprehensive review of agency rules, internal policies, administrative requirements to identify any outdated, duplicative uh inefficient provisions.
▶ 7:05:43It also uh asked that it identify cost savings uh administrative streamlining opportunities and any overlapping uh provisions and um uh contracts. Uh you've heard me talk about contracts. Almost every contract that we deal with the federal government, it starts at one price. Uh but it goes over the amount. Uh I think those contracts should be on time and on budget. And this is what this committee So Mr.
▶ 7:06:10Chairman, I I will be working with you and with the other uh and ask you to consider this at the proper time. And at this time, I uh take back and withdraw my amendment. Gentleman has offered and withdrawn his amendment. We thank the gentleman and the gentleman from Texas is recognized for another amendment.
▶ 7:06:41Mr. Chairman, I have a amendment number three at the table and I ask that we dispense with uh the reading of that The reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentleman is recognized for remarks on his amendment. Mr. Chairman, uh this amendment uh is asking that uh Homeland Security and the Department of Transportation work on an issue uh that is very important to Border Patrol. Uh let's assume this is the river uh on the southwest border.
▶ 7:07:12And if you had border patrol that was on one end of the river and if they wanted to get to the other end, the way they just couldn't do this right now. They can't they don't have the mobility, the flexibility at all. What they do is they have roads that go into the river. So if you had a border patrol agent on one part of the border and they wanted to go to another part of the river, they would have to go up, get on another road, come up and come this way.
▶ 7:07:41Or if they were going over there, they would have to go another way. So it's not a very efficient way of addressing this. uh homeland doesn't really have the dollars even though I believe under the reconciliation bill uh 46.5 billion got added for border wall elimination of kariso ka uh or as my friend from uh California says chiso ka uh and uh technology and river roads also so there
▶ 7:08:11is some money but I think they need some assistance from the department of transportation to address the river roads So again, if you look at anybody been down to the river, you don't have any roads that go up and down the border. So it's very inefficient for border patrol to get from one end to the other. And we will bring this and work with you, Mr. Chairman, at the proper time. And at this time, I did offer and I will withdraw this amendment.
▶ 7:08:39I appreciate the gentleman who's offered and withdrawn an amendment. A gentleman from Texas is recognized for an additional amendment. Uh, Mr. Chairman, I have uh revised amendment number two by Quer and Cloud. Uh, and I ask that we dispense. It's at the table and ask that we dispense with the reading. Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentleman's recognized for remarks on the amendment.
▶ 7:09:09Uh, this particular amendment, uh, M. Uh, Mr. chairman I will I believe it's acceptable to the chairman and ranking member also uh but this amendment has to do with uh the uh drones that we have uh if you look at the river uh the numbers have slowed down but we're seeing a lot of getaways and a lot of folks uh that are trying to get away from border patrol. It's not the same type of profile of people that we at the at the border.
▶ 7:09:37These are people trying to escape, uh, trying to get away from detection. So, the profile that we see now are people trying to come in that probably have a record or people that are trying to smuggle in people or other things into the US. uh what the uh cartels have been doing, the Mexican cartels.
▶ 7:09:58And keep in mind, they don't have the procurement or the rules that we have where it takes a long time to get uh the drones, but they're actually they just go to the Best Buy, buy all the drones, and then they use them uh commercially. And I'm sure some of y'all have seen in those briefings where they literally have hundreds or thousands of those drones on the Mexican side.
▶ 7:10:21Just last week, I was with border patrol and the 10th uh army uh the southwest folks and they were showing me a video that the uh Mexican military had captured from a drug cartel and had given it over to our side and basically they had the drone and they had some people up there and they were telling the people uh the border patrol is about three four blocks over there. You can go ahead and go and they got in a car. So, they're using drones very effectively.
▶ 7:10:51And what we're asking is that the FAA consider we're urging the FAA to consider a uh an exclusion zone uh for the border uh so we can have a better handle uh at the border so we can handle there will be an exception for emergency. there will be an exception for law enforcement, local law enforcement and for any ranchers or farmers. So we have a particular uh exception for them.
▶ 7:11:19But we got to get a hold of this uh because again we got rules, we got regulations. The other side, the bad guys don't have any of those rules and they're just moving faster. They're more agile than we do. So, we would ask you to consider uh this amendment and and with that I will uh hold back and I would ask I believe uh I don't know um we have some of the speakers but uh at this time I yield back the balance of my time. Thank the gentleman.
▶ 7:11:47The gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Wmach is recognized to respond or to address the amendment. Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Frankly, I I I can't u uh put it any better than Henry did. uh he's raised a great point. This issue is not going away.
▶ 7:12:03This issue is probably going to proliferate and uh and I I certainly support uh the notion that we could develop some kind of an exclusion zone uh if for no other reason to ensure that the people that we have protecting that border are themselves protected. So, uh we support the language and uh and I I would yield back. I know there are Mr. Mr. Cloud's probably going to speak to it, but we're in total agreement. Thank you. Thank you. The gentleman from Texas, Mr.
▶ 7:12:30Cloud, is recognized to address the Yeah, thank you very much. And I want to thank uh Mr. Quire for bringing this uh attention to this committee's or this issue to this uh committee's attention. Uh pleasure to work with you today on making sure we tidy this up and got all the language right, but but really nothing too much to add to this except to echo his sentiments. Everybody knows what's going on at the border. It's been great to see the progress that's been made over the last several months in securing the border. Uh but there's still work to be done. Those cartels are using these drones.
▶ 7:13:00They're they're dropping off elicit drugs uh across the border uh into the state of Texas, which is being distributed, you know, all over and throughout Arizona and other border states. Uh and then they're surveilling our people, you know, and that's a big issue. Uh you know, in getting a tactical advantage over the resources we do have there. So, you know, this is just about common sense, making sure that we control the airspace that's over there. Uh, US Northern Command shared that there's there were over a thousand incursions of drones along the US Mexico border each month.
▶ 7:13:29Uh, so this is an issue that we can do certainly do something about and I I appreciate being able to work in a bipartisan manner to make sure that that we do what we can to address this. Thank you very much, Mr. Square. Thanks. I thank the gentleman. Are there others wishing to address amendment? The gentleman from Alabama is recognized to address the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I thank you for the for allowing me to speak. This will be my first time to speak in this committee, but I'm going to tell you this right here. We brought up some issues that on this amendment that I commend this committee.
▶ 7:13:57Number one, in the previous administration, for every drone that was flown by border security, the Mexican cartel was flying 17. We have the technology through uh our country to intercept these drones, to down these drones, and also to do forensics on them. Much of that technology is from Redstone Arsenal and Huntsville, Alabama. in the district that I represent. What we've got to do is have the willingness to utilize it so that this fentanyl is not being brought into America.
▶ 7:14:27What's going on at our southern border, we've come a long way. I like this amendment and I think our our country will be better off to support this. Mr. Chairman, I yield back. Thank the gentleman. The gentleman from Missouri, Mr. Alfred is recognized to address the amendment. Well, thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that. I'll be brief. First off, I want to say how much I appreciate the bipartisan nature of this amendment.
▶ 7:14:49I think we realize there is a potential for an even growing problem uh with this situation and I I'm uh very encouraged that we are taking positive action to try to head off any future problem. Secondly, I do appreciate the willingness of uh changes to this language. I was concerned about the farmers and ranchers who are already having their water stolen from Mexico along the the border on the Rio Grand. Uh they don't need any more hardships.
▶ 7:15:17And so this is a um uh carve out uh specific language that protects them uh from any uh egregious overreach in this program. Uh thirdly, uh you will notice it says that as such the committee encourages the Federal Aviation Administration. So this is not a mandated shall language. This is encouraging them uh to move forward with this. And lastly, a little bit off topic, I just want to tell Mr.
▶ 7:15:44Hoyer uh how much I respect you, sir, and your passion for our article one authority and in particularly the integrity of this committee. Thank you, sir. And I yield back. Thank the gentlemen. Are there other members wishing to address the Seeing none, the gentleman's recognized for one minute to close. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I again I want to thank my colleagues to make this a bipartisan, Mr. Alfred, Mr. Cloud.
▶ 7:16:13And thank you so much again, members. Uh if we get out of here today or tomorrow, uh I'm supposed to be sitting down with Border Patrol and the um and the 10th Army down there in Laredo. So, we're going to tell them some of the good news that in a bipartisan way, we gave them one extra tool. So with that, I appreciate the very illuminating uh uh conversation we had on this and I want to thank you so much and I yield back the balance of time. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank the gentleman.
▶ 7:16:41I can assure him we will get out today or The question is, are there any others wishing to address the amendment? Well, no, we've already gone through that. So questions now on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas. All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed say no. the opinion of the chair. The eyes have it and the amendment is adopted.
▶ 7:17:10Gentleman from California, Mr. Aguilar is recognized for an amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I rise to offer an amendment uh to include this is uh Aguilar Torres Watson Coleman. Uh I rise to offer I have an amendment at the desk and ask to dispense with the reading. Reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentleman is recognized for remarks on his amendment. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment to include $400 million in this funding bill for transit funding for the upcoming World Cup in 2026.
▶ 7:17:39I'm grateful to the gentle lady from California and the gentle lady from New Jersey for working with me on this. California is excited to be host for the World Cup as people across the globe come to cheer for our country's team. It's an honor that two California cities were chosen among the host cities joining Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Seattle also as host cities. This isn't just about blue states or blue cities.
▶ 7:18:08This is happening all across our country. We're going to be cheering for the US team and rooting for our favorite players, whether we live in red states or in blue states. uh we don't want a political agenda to prevent the World Cup from being successful. The type of coord that type of coordination requires resources and that's why an additional $400 million to support the millions of visitors during this tournament uh next year will be important.
▶ 7:18:35This is a smart and responsible investment that will improve our public transit system and help our state and local partners ensure safe and reliable infrastructure. We want to make sure that these uh games uh uh that these soccer matches are safe uh around the country. And in order to do that, we're going to have to move a lot of people around um to these stadiums. There will also different cities have different fanfests and and other planned activities around their communities.
▶ 7:19:04Um so more than just the 80 or 100,000 individuals in the sporting arena will be allowed to partake. All of that takes highly coordinated movements and we need transit investments in order to do that. As you as you admitted earlier, Mr. Chairman, we have no topline approved numbers. Um, so in that spirit and building off of the bipartisanship of Mr. Quayar and Miss Glen Camp Perez, uh, I hope that we can work together on this amendment.
▶ 7:19:31Uh, and with that, I'll yield back, although I I know that, uh, Miss Watson Coleman or Miss Torres may also want to, uh, speak on this amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much. Uh the gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Warmarmac, is recognized to address the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And while I agree uh in principle with my friend from California, um I I do rise to oppose the amendment. And the reason I cannot support it at this time is I I just don't think it's ripe. I mean, we don't have a detailed plan.
▶ 7:20:00Um the the bill that we're considering today does the right thing by housing, FAA, transportation safety, and and the like. and we use balances to cover some of those additional funding priorities. Any additional funding for transportation priorities within this allocation should follow that precedent. Uh and we know that the federal government has and likely will have a role in supporting these major sporting events. Uh this one and I think there's another one right behind it.
▶ 7:20:30But there needs to be a serious coordinated request with a clear and justified need from the host cities, the transit agencies, and in this case, FIFA. The request should be reviewed by DOT and OM and submitted to Congress accordingly. So, I think when it ripens, that would be the appropriate time for us to consider uh what we will do uh in support of these particular events. And with that, I would urge a no vote at this time on the amendment. I yield Thank the gentleman.
▶ 7:21:00The gentle lady from New Jersey, uh, Miss Watson Coleman, is recognized for remarks on the amendment. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and thank you very much, uh, Mr. Chairman, for your comments about about coordination, the importance of coordination. I do know that some of this is taking place right now. I know that New Jersey has estimates and how it's going to impact us when the the game is going to be played, the final game is going to be played at the at the Metife Stadium in New Jersey.
▶ 7:21:31Um, currently our New Jersey Transit re wrership is something like 10,000 a day. They're talking about it being 20,000 an hour to move those 80 those gazillion people who are going to be interested in participating in that game.
▶ 7:21:50We know that uh New Jersey Transit has um challenges just right now and so that we need to be cognizant of what we need in order to be a welcoming place for these games, these these international games. we will be uh the spotlight and we want to be the spotlight that shows up and uh shows out just how well we can receive the visitors.
▶ 7:22:18So, I thank you for your comments. I certainly thank my uh co-lead here and my leader for sponsoring uh this particular piece of this amendment and I just need to have those thoughts in our head as we move forward on this. Thank you very much and I yield back. Thank the gentle lady.
▶ 7:22:40The gentle lady from Pennsylvania, Miss Dean is recognized for comments on the Chairman, and I rise in support of my colleagues amendment to provide an additional $400 million to help cover transit operations uh expenses uh in the cities and regions that will host matches during the FIFA World Cup next year, including my own home city of Philadelphia.
▶ 7:23:05As has been said, while funding has been approved for security needs associated with the World Cup, it's my understanding that no such funding has been designated for transit agencies uh that will be critical to transporting people uh who are working and attending the event to transport them safely and securely. Philadelphia is scheduled to host six World Cup matches. We are extremely excited about that.
▶ 7:23:29And our local transit agency, SEPTA, uh is developing a robust transit plan to help Pennsylvania welcome the world next year and support the bu support the billions in economic activity that will stretch across our commonwealth. SEPTA estimates operating staffing and safety and security and marketing obligations will cost approximately $21 million.
▶ 7:23:53uh and high-end projections forecast SEPTA could be called upon to move as many as a 100,000 fans to and from South Philadelphia Sports Complex uh over hours and hours and hours. I want to mention all eyes will also be on Philadelphia next year as we celebrate as the country celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence written in my beautiful home city of Philadelphia.
▶ 7:24:20The funding in this appropriation's request will help offset the significant additional expenses of providing for these special occasions. Further, I will note that more generally, I'm deeply concerned about cuts to transportation in this bill, including massive cuts to commuter rail, Amtrak, bus infrastructure, and transit capital investment grants.
▶ 7:24:43In my region, SEPTA is already facing massive budget shortfalls due to the end of federal COVID funding and the state's failure, sadly, my state's failure to authorize additional funding.
▶ 7:24:56Just last week, the SEFA board voted to uh to authorize a FY26 budget that will cut service by raise fairs 21% uh beginning later this summer to fill a $213 million recurring budget deficit. These cuts will be devastating for our local and state economy, according to all kinds of analysts.
▶ 7:25:22The cuts would result in an estimated loss of more than 900 million in statewide economic activity annually. So I urge my colleagues in Harrisburg, as I did in the past when I served in the state legislature, to fully fund SEPTA, participate in what an economic engine uh the southeastern region of Pennsylvania is.
▶ 7:25:42And I urge my colleagues here in DC to recognize the economic importance of our public transit systems both generally and in light of the upcoming World Cup and the uh birthday of our Declaration of Independence and of our country. Uh we need to provide the investments so desperately needed. I thank the gentleman gentle lady for this amendment. Uh and I yield back. I thank the gentle lady.
▶ 7:26:09Are there other members wishing to address this Seeing none, the gentleman is recognized for one minute to close. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I want to thank Mr. Wilmac for for his comments. And in that spirit, I look forward to to continuing to work with the gentleman uh and with these host cities and FIFA uh to more fully flesh out uh their needs. Uh they have submitted um rounds of needs that they have.
▶ 7:26:34But I would I would also say uh we can support this amendment uh is a is a work in progress because these games are coming. Um I know that this bill uh is not ripe. This amendment may not be ripe, but I would argue, Mr. Chairman, this bill is not ripe yet. And as this bill ripens, um I hope that we can also consider adding uh these resources into this bill. Um because this is a World Cup that's coming in 12 months. This isn't something that is abstract or six years away.
▶ 7:27:03uh this is coming and these 11 host cities from across the country deserve some certainty uh and and more importantly they deserve the safety, the security and the movements um and that includes transit dollars in order to execute uh these games and ensure that they go off without a hitch. So uh with that I encourage an I vote and I yield I thank the gentleman. The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentleman from California. All those in favor say I.
▶ 7:27:31I All those opposed say no. The opinion of the chair, the nos have it and the amendment is not adopted. The gentleman from California, Mr. Aguilar is recognized for an amendment. Uh, Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk with M. Torres, and I would like to ask that the language be dispensed with. Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentleman is recognized for remarks on his amendment.
▶ 7:28:01Similar to the prior amendment, uh Mr. Chairman, uh this amendment would add $500 million in order for us to um support the Olympics that are coming in 2028. Uh this is while this is a few more years down the line, the planning is further along in stages. Uh this includes activities both in Los Angeles as well as Oklahoma City. Um, and we owe it to our communities to ensure again that these go off uh safely.
▶ 7:28:30We can all think of, you know, Michael Phelps uh breaking records, uh, Carrie Strug in Atlanta, uh, we've all cheered for Simone Biles. The only thing that people should come away after the Olympics, uh, feeling is an immense sense of pride. um they shouldn't have to worry about uh the the safety and security uh or what uh uh they shouldn't hopefully think about an event that happens. Uh and that's going to take additional resources.
▶ 7:28:58So um with that, I appreciate my colleagues, specifically Miss Torres, for working with me on this amendment. Uh but we need to make sure that we have the resources so these games can go off without a hitch. Um uh we know that resources have gone into these categories of funding. Um, we also know that it's not going to be enough. Um, and this committee should exercise its ability in order to help guide the needed resources to protect the people who are watching these games.
▶ 7:29:27With that, I know Miss Torres wants to speak as well. I plan to uh withdraw this amendment uh, Mr. Chairman, but I would ask that uh, Miss Torres get an opportunity to speak and I'm I'm yield back then. I thank the gentleman. Uh, the gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. WAC is recognized to address the amendment. We are in total agreement, Pete, on on the need for us to to have our best foot forward.
▶ 7:29:53That when people leave the country after having participated or witnessed been a been a participant or a witness uh at the 2028 Olympics, that they only have um great thoughts about the hospitality, the way they were treated, and the ability for us to be able to get them to the proper venues at the proper time.
▶ 7:30:14The last thing we want is some kind of a bottleneck or a failure on our part not to have the resources in place that makes it possible for people to be able to enjoy the Olympics the way they should be enjoyed. So, I'm I'm in agreement with you. Again, much like the previous amendment, um th this one is not quite ripe yet. I think that the federal government is going to have a role in this.
▶ 7:30:37to what extent uh I think we will determine at the appropriate time and in the case of the Olympics while planning is underway uh the uh at least time is a bit more on our side than perhaps the FIFA issue that is coming up in 12 months. So, I support the concept uh but would oppose the amendment and glad you're withdrawing and I will continue to work with you and any other members of our delegation of our uh appropriations committee to ensure that we do everything possible to make sure that our best foot is forward.
▶ 7:31:08I yield. Thank gentlemen. The gentle lady from California is recognized to address the Uh thank you chairman Cole and thank you Chairman Wulmeck for your comments. Um, I also rise in strong support of Representative Aguilar's amendment that will increase funding for the LA 2028 Olympic Preparations.
▶ 7:31:30This amendment is critical not just for the success of the games, but for the long-term future of Southern California and especially for the Inland Empire. The Pomona Fairplex located in my district will host key Olympic events putting the Inland Empire on the global stage. This is a tremendous opportunity to showcase our region uh re rich culture, infrastructure and hospitality to millions around the world.
▶ 7:31:58But to do that, we need to adequately fund um to ensure the facilities, transportation networks and housing infrastructure are ready and world class. When our country has hosted previous Olympic games, the federal government has provided uh resources to upgrade infrastructure and security. We're asking for the same commitment here.
▶ 7:32:22These investments will help our nation showcase our greatness and ensure visitors and athletes can safely and quickly move from place to place. And when it does happen, members, you're more than welcome to come. And um if you do, I hope you'll stay with me at my home since I'm only 30 seconds away from the entry gate.
▶ 7:32:45Uh and with that, I look forward to continuing to work with all of you to ensure that we have the resources and I yel back. You're all welcome. I thank the gentle lady. Are there any other members wishing to discuss the amendment? If not, the gentleman from California is recognized for one minute Mr. Chairman, I want to be very clear that none of the funds that we're talking about here go to an expansion of the home of Miss Torres to accommodate to accommodate the 50 members she just invited into her home.
▶ 7:33:15Um, but it will take resource 63. It will take resources in order to to complete the games. I appreciate the spirit in which uh Mr. Wulmarmac is accepting of this idea and look forward to working with he, the committee staff and the members of the committee in order to uh ensure that the games go off uh correctly uh as they should in 2028. And with that, I'll withdraw my amendment. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman and uh just for the record, look forward to working with him on this. Oklahoma City's involved in this as well.
▶ 7:33:43So I think we'll find some common ground for bipartisanship on what genuinely is a very very important moment for the country and look forward to this committee working together on that. Uh seeing no further amendments, I now would recognize Mr. Rogers for a Mr.
▶ 7:34:02Chair, I move to favorably report to the House the fiscal year 2026 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. The question is now on the motion to favorably report to the House the fiscal year 2026 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed say no. No.
▶ 7:34:32The opinion of the chair, the eyes have Roll call has been requested. Sufficient number of hands has been raised. The clerk will call the role. Mr. Aderholt. Mr. Aguilar. Mr. Aguular. No. Mr. Alford. Mr. Alford. I. Mr. Ammeday. Mr. Ammedday. I Mrs. Bice. Mr. Bishop. Mr. Bishop. No. Mr. Calbertt. Mr. Calvert. I Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter. I Mr.
▶ 7:35:01Casease Mr. Casease No Mr. Sisammani Mr. Sisammani I Mr. Klene Mr. Klene I Mr. Cloud Mr. Cloud I Mr. Klyurn Mr. Klyurn no Mr. Clyde Mr. Clyde I Mr. Cole Mr. Cole I Mr. Quaar Mr. Quayrar No Miss Dean Miss Dean no Mr. Loro Mr. Lauro no Mr. Diaz Balard Mr. Diaz Bolard I Mr. Edwards Mr. Edwards. I Mr. Elz Mr.
▶ 7:35:31Elzie I Mr. Escobar Miss Escobar No Mr. Espayot Mr. Espayot No Mr. Fleshman Mr. Fleshman I Mr. Frankle Miss Frankle no Mr. Franklin Mr. Franklin I Mr. Gonzalez Mr. Gonzalez I Mr. Guest Mr. Guest I Mr. Harter Mr. Harter no Dr. Harris Dr. Harris I Mrs. Henson Mr. Hoyer. Mr. Hoyer. No. Mr. Ivy.
▶ 7:36:01Mr. Ivy. No. Mr. Joyce. Miss Captor. Miss Captor. Excuse me. No. Miss Captor. No. Mr. Loa. Miss Lee. Miss Lee. No. Miss Llo. Miss Llo. I. Mr. Mr. Lean. Mr. Leven. No. Miss Malloy. Miss McCullum.
▶ 7:36:33Miss McCullum. No. Miss Miss Ming. No. Mr. Molinar. Mr. Molinar. I. Mr. Moore. Mr. Morelli. Mr. Morelli. No. Mr. Morvan. Mr. Murvan. No. Mr. New House. Mr. New House. I. Miss. Perez. Miss. Perez. No, Miss Pingri. Miss Pingri. No, Mr. Pokean. Mr. Pokean. No, Mr. Quigley. Mr. Quigley. No, Mr. Russianthaler.
▶ 7:37:04Mr. Russianthaler. I, Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers. I, Mr. Rutherford. Mr. Rutherford. I, Mr. Simpson. Mr. Simpson. I, Mr. Strong. Mr. Strong. I, Mrs. Mrs. Torres. No. Miss Underwood. Miss. Underwood. No. Mr. Valido. Mr. Valido. I. Mr. Wasman Schultz. Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Wac, Mr. Wack, I, Mr. Zinci, Mr. Zinci, I.
▶ 7:37:34Are there any members wishing to record or change their vote? Gentle lady from Florida. Miss Wasserman Schultz, no. Gentleman from West Virginia. Mr. Moore, I. Gentle lady from Iowa. Miss Henson, I. Gentle lady from Oklahoma, Mrs. Bice. I gentle lady from Utah. Miss Mallaloy. I gentleman from Alabama. Mr. Outer Holt. I gentleman from Ohio.
▶ 7:38:05Mr. Joyce. I gentleman from New York. Mr. Loa. I Are there others wishing to record or change their vote? If not, the clerk will tally.
▶ 7:38:56On this vote, the eyes are third. On this vote, the eyes are 35. The nose are Oh, gentle lady from New Jersey. I do not believe the gentle lady is Yes, sir. Mrs. Watson Coleman votes no. Okay. So, this is now 28. Okay. On this vote, the eyes are 35, the nose are 28, and the motion is agreed to.
▶ 7:39:27Um, I ask unanimous consent that staff be permitted to make technical and conforming changes to the bill and report just approved. See him no objection. So ordered three days and without objection uh for just administrative purposes quickly. I believe that uh our friend uh Mr. Flashman has pizza now across the hall.
▶ 7:39:54We're going to take just a minute obvious as we change out. We're going to move immediately uh into the energy and water bill. Obviously, there's a we'll have some votes on other matters later this evening. After that, we'll do the allocation. So, we're just going to keep moving as best we can. If you want to go get some pizza, now might be a good time to do that.
▶ 7:54:14Our second order of business today is consideration of the energy and water development related agencies appropriations bill for fiscal year 2026. I'll now recognize chairman Fleshman to present the bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I hope everyone's enjoying dinner.
▶ 7:54:38Uh, I am pleased to present to the committee the fiscal 2026 energy and water development and related agencies appropriation bill. I'd like to thank Chairman Cole and Ranking Member Delaro for their leadership throughout this process and my good friend and ranking member of the Energy and Water Subcommittee, Marcy Captor, for her partnership.
▶ 7:55:03I'd also like to extend my appreciation to all of my colleagues for their valuable input in helping shape this bill. The fiscal 26 energy and water bill demonstrates our commitment to safeguarding the United States national security, unleashing American energy dominance, and advancing our economic competitiveness in a fiscally responsible manner.
▶ 7:55:27The recommendation totals 57.3 billion, a decrease of 77 77 766 million below fiscal year 2025.
▶ 7:55:40The bill delivers strong support for our national defense and provides $25.3 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration, prioritizing the continued modernization of the nuclear weapons stockpile and the United States new Navy nuclear fleet. We continue to fulfill our legacy responsibilities to remediate contaminated sites by funding Department of Energy cleanup activities.
▶ 7:56:10The bill strengthens our nation's energy security by advancing American leadership in deploying new nuclear technologies and supporting the administration's efforts to make full use of our nation's vast fossil fuel resources. The bill will reduce reliance on foreign materials and secure the full supply chain of critical materials, critical minerals.
▶ 7:56:32The bill furthers our nation's scientific and technological leadership, providing$ 8.4 4 billion for the Department of Energy's Office of Science. At the same time, the the bill reduces funding by 25% across numerous other departments, including the Applied Energy Technology Offices to ensure taxpayer resources are focused on the highest priority research and development projects.
▶ 7:57:009 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers, including full funding of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund activities and the highest priority construction projects on the inland waterway system. Funding for the Bureau of Reclamation is prioritized to projects that increase water supply and support drought resilience.
▶ 7:57:22Finally, the bill includes a number of provisions to codify President Trump's executive actions to protect American values and prevent our resources and intellectual property from falling into the hands of foreign adversaries. This is a fiscally responsible bill that will strengthen our national security and advance our energy independence. I urge my colleagues to support it. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
▶ 7:57:51I thank the gentleman. I now would like to recognize Miss Captor for remarks on the bill. Thank you very much, Chairman Cole, Ranking Member uh Deluro, uh my dear friend Chair Flechman, and all the members as we gather today to mark up this fiscal year 2026 energy and water development bill. Um, I have to restate, Chairman Fleshman, I have truly appreciated working with you.
▶ 7:58:21Uh, you are always open to suggestions and, uh, to all of our colleagues on this subcommittee that is a very, um, bipartisan subcommittee to develop and pass these bills and our committee has long had this practice. We affect every single congressional district in this country.
▶ 7:58:38I'm truly saddened that this vital subcommittee is being steered yet again to return to a partisan process not caused by our subcommittee uh but as we move forward with this fiscal year uh 2026 house bill. I would like to begin by thanking our diligent staff for all their hard work on this bill from the minority staff Scott McKe, Anisha Sing, and Adam Wilson and on our personal staff Caitlyn Yulan, TJ Louderdermilk and Margaret McInness.
▶ 7:59:07Truly, thank you to you all. Engineered energy and water systems undergur America's way of life. They are not optional, but essential to sustaining life. Of late, we have been piercingly reminded about our subcommittee's purpose, especially as related to water management by the extreme flash flooding and tragic loss of over 132 lives and with over 101 missing.
▶ 7:59:37uh in the Guadalupe River catchment area in Texas. Um the deadly West Virginia flash flooding this past month significantly damaged over 100 homes, unfortunately taking the lives of at least nine people, including a three-year-old in Valley Grove, West Virginia. And we've seen flooding events in central North Carolina and New Mexico. All our hearts go out to the families of the victims and their communities.
▶ 8:00:08These tragedies inform us of the power of water and wild energy in our atmosphere. Not because of cloud seeding, but because of nature's awesome power generated inside the thin seven layer surrounding our spinning and rotating Earth. Let me be clear.
▶ 8:00:30No matter how much members on the other side of the aisle want to pretend that the climate isn't changing, for the record, the last 10 years are the 10 hottest in recorded So many have been held up on their plane flights back here. It's an unusual change in the weather across this country, and members are personally experiencing these delays, as are the American people.
▶ 8:00:57These recent floods are made worse by the heating atmosphere. We had four 1,000year floods last week alone. That is a record. So far in July, our country has seen over more than double the normal for an average July, and we're just halfway through the month. Constitutionally, it is our sworn duty to prepare and protect the people in our communities.
▶ 8:01:26And it is hard to accept that no warning sirens had been installed along the Guadalupe River despite prior tragedies along that very treacherous corridor. Our nation needs to install warning systems and build resilient infrastructure. And we are behind. For example, in a district like mine, we had to bring funding for tornado sirens many years ago. I was shocked that they didn't exist.
▶ 8:01:52And in Ohio, we do zone to prevent flooding from threatening human life. But many places in our country do not. And we cannot keep bailing out places that are irresponsible in their behavior. My home in the city of Toledo has gone into billions of dollars of debt to build new sewers along with gigantic underground catchment basins, some as large as two football fields in size, in order to handle increasing water loads.
▶ 8:02:21We are making investments all over our district to protect Lake Erie shoreline and its tributaries. But in places where infrastructure investments aren't cost-effective, how does our nation make sure that families will be protected with adequate local planning and disaster warning systems? America needs more rigor in land and water planning systems. And my friends, quite frankly, we as a nation don't get a grade A on that.
▶ 8:02:49It is our awesome responsibility as public servants to address the structural shortcomings at the federal, state, and local level that contributed to the recent loss of life. Sadly, this Republican energy and water bill does not meet our nation's imperative for the future. It's over $700 million below last year. We must invest faster in modern infrastructure and become energy independent in perpetuity. That is our responsibility.
▶ 8:03:19In a nation of 350 million people headed to 500 million people. We must make energy cost less and invest in grid resilience which is sadly behind what this country needs. I find it interesting that Russell Vote, the chief architect of the budget cuts that we are being asked to endure in this bill, uh claims that he's so savvy, but how is it possible? He's supposed to be known as a budget cutter, right?
▶ 8:03:48But how is it possible that he has added trillion despite our cuts to the national debt over the next 10 years? Over 20 years, he's adding 9.5 trillion and $18.7 trillion by 30 years out. So that's a total of 32 trillion if temporary measures are extended permanently. Think about that one.
▶ 8:04:14So, if they're doing such a good job over there at the executive branch and OM, how come the national debt is rising when we're cutting every single bill that we are discussing today and those that will follow? This bill fails to address the cost of living crisis. The price of electricity has risen 5.8% over the last year. Every family in this country knows that. And even higher energy bills lie ahead for families and businesses.
▶ 8:04:41China is investing record levels in energy, my friends. But this bill retreats from US global leadership in the future in the form of a diversified and clean energy economy.
▶ 8:04:55This energy and water bill cuts $1.6 billion or 47% from the Department of Energy's energy efficiency and renewable energy The adage, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," applies to our nation's imperative to deliver clean, affordable, and secure energy to the American people.
▶ 8:05:18And to ensure our nation leads, not lags, in the global race toward energy independence in perpetuity, including an abundant, clean energy future. Our mom and dad taught us how to be thrifty and not wasteful. Dad would say, "It's not how much you make, it's how much you save." And that applies to energy and freshwater conservation are good goals for the future of our children and grandchildren. And we've made some strides toward those horizons.
▶ 8:05:46The United States on the oil front is producing more than ever before. Record high levels of production. But we are still tethered to a volatile global energy market dominated by cartels and petroleum dictators like OPEC. We must advance an all of the- above energy strategy to be successful long term.
▶ 8:06:09Europe learned the hard way about being too reliant on one source of energy, Russian gas in their case, when Russia invaded Ukraine. Let us heed that chilling warning. China aims to be the OPEC for the next century and gain dominance in cle energy, and they are well on their way. Their investments dwarf the rest of the worlds. A Chinese company has developed an EV battery. Are you ready for this?
▶ 8:06:36That can travel 1,800 miles in a single charge and recharge in just 5 minutes. Think about that. What sense does it make for this energy and water bill to slash the Department of Energy's vital research and development programs? The Republican plan cripples America's energy future by awarding giant tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires in the big billionaire bonanza bill. That's creating the big huge additions to the debt.
▶ 8:07:06America must focus on building an economy that works for everyone, especially our working families and retirees, not just the wealthy few. The bill, this bill eliminates funding for the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations and worse, it revokes 5.1 billion dollar of bipartisan infrastructure law resources from the Department of Energy that will seed the US global lead in hydrogen, direct air capture, battery recycling,
▶ 8:07:37and energy savings in every public and private structure. Already, US businesses have canled, this is a shocking number, more than 15 billion dollars in investments in new factories and electricity production projects this year as a result of the Republican Bonanza for billionaires bill. Those canceled projects were expected to create nearly 12,000 new jobs, all now gone.
▶ 8:08:03I can remember when we brought back the heavy Ford heavy truck line from Mexico to uh the region that I represent and I stood next to the CEO of the company at that time and I said, "What can I do to keep these jobs anchored here in Northern Ohio?" And he looked at me and he didn't waste a moment. He said, "Cut my energy bills by a third." Well, think about that one.
▶ 8:08:29Thus, I strongly oppose the Republican cuts to vital energy production and conservation and our future through the US Department of Energy. Short changing these advances pushes our nation backwards and raises already high energy prices for consumers. Why drive America backwards by slowly walking energy in innovation and failing to modernize our nation's electric grids, which are old?
▶ 8:08:55In other areas, this bill dangerously short changes our national security, and this is really critical. The bill slashes $412 million from the defense nuclear non-prololiferation account. This effectively guts our efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, detect covert nuclear threats, and uphold arms control agreements that keep us safe.
▶ 8:09:21All a big gift for Iran, Russia, China, Bellarus, and North Korea. Think about that spiderweb of tyranny. Additionally, this bill turns its back on communities still living with the toxic legacy of America's atomic past, zeroing out the Army Corps program to clean up radioactive waste at early nuclear sites.
▶ 8:09:44It slashes $779 million from the Department of Energy's nuclear cleanup efforts, delaying the cleanup of these communities have been promised for decades. I'll note for the committee that one of these sites is in the village of Lucky, Ohio, not so far from my district. And believe me, you don't want to breathe in or ingest atomic waste anywhere in the world.
▶ 8:10:09Finally, this bill includes numerous controversial poison pill riders that sadly show some extremists among us are not interested in real bills that can gain bipartisan support and become law. In closing, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill. America can and must meet the new age frontiers of energy and water. We owe it to the future. Nature is signaling times are changing.
▶ 8:10:34And it's good to remind ourselves 200 years after Daniel Webster stated this that is up on the wall in the House of Representatives chamber. Let us develop the resources of our land, call forth its powers, build up its institutions, promote all its great interests, and see whether also we in our time and generation may not perform something worthy to be remembered. That is our mandate today.
▶ 8:11:00Thank you, and I yield I thank the gentle lady for her remarks and I now recognize myself for remarks on the bill. Thank you, Chairman Slesman, Ranking Member Captain, Ranking Member Delora. Captor, excuse me. I said captain, but that's not bad. Captain's pretty good. Take it. I'll take it. All right. Uh, ranking member Deluro and all of our committee members. Today's measure is a cornerstone of American energy dominance and security.
▶ 8:11:28We need affordable, reliable, and secure power for the nation, and the bill before us delivers it. To drive down energy costs, restore American energy independence, and support US jobs, we're advancing policies and investments that unleash the full potential of Americanmade energy. This marks a critical shift. The days of Biden era red tape and growing reliance on foreign supply are over.
▶ 8:11:54In its place, a clear America first energy strategy is being implemented, which is further reflected in this FY26 measure. It makes historic investments to secure our energy systems and reduced reliance on foreign materials. It unlocks technological innovation to propel advancements for the future. It provides robust funding for the Army Corps uh for high priority waterways, flood control projects and ports and harbors.
▶ 8:12:24And it strengthens our national defense through focusing on deployment of next generation nuclear systems and modernized assets that support submarines and aircraft carriers. All in all, this measure recognizes that by leveraging our domestic resources, we will continue to lead the world in producing the cleanest and most reliable energy.
▶ 8:12:46I thank Chairman Fechman for his work in developing a bill that reinforces our energy security, strengthens our economy, and builds long-term resilience. I urge all members to support it. And with that, I yield back. U obviously Mr. Laura's gone. She's representing us along with the vice chairman of the committee, Mr. Diaz Bolard, at the rules committee right now. When she returns, she'll be immediately recognized for any remarks she cares to make.
▶ 8:13:16We're also dealing with uh I think she's got some amendments. Again, we're going to accommodate everybody in terms of time and we've already had that discussion. So, what we'll do now is just proceed with general remarks about the bill. Again, holding time for Mr. Laura when she comes back. With that, Mr. Bishop is recognized in order to uh address make general remarks about the bill. Thank you very much, Mr.
▶ 8:13:42Chairman, Ranking Member Delara, and uh thank you for the opportunity to speak. Uh I rise today reluctantly in opposition to the FY26 Energy and Water Development Related Agency's Appropriations Bill. Uh we serve in the people's house entrusted not with party loyalty with the solemn be the voice of Americans across every district.
▶ 8:14:09I don't presume to speak for other members constituents but I can say with certainty that my constituents are not calling me to ask for higher electricity bills or more inflation or elimination of jobs and opportunities. Yet, that's exactly what this bill threatens to deliver.
▶ 8:14:32This proposal represents another short-sighted attempt to dismantle critical investments that support the well-being, the prosperity, and security of the American people. Rather than lowering costs and strengthening our economic competitiveness, it undermines our infrastructure.
▶ 8:14:52It weakens our energy resilience and it threatens to raise costs for working families at a time when Americans across the country are battling record-breaking heat waves, unprecedented floods, wildfires, and other intensifying threats. We should be investing in disaster resilience and not defunding it. These are not abstract concerns.
▶ 8:15:18They're impacting lives and livelihoods in every corner of the nation, including my largely rural district, where the effects of disinvestment are felt acutely and I do appreciate the funding provided for the Army Corps of Engineers.
▶ 8:15:36That investment matters, but it's far from sufficient to meet the scale of the challenges that our communities are This bill includes $5.1 billion cut to programs established under the bipartisan infrastructure law. Programs that were designed specifically to revitalize distressed communities, particularly in rural America. I know these communities. I live among them. I hear from them every day.
▶ 8:16:07They're not asking for cuts to clean energy, to job training, or disaster preparedness. They're asking for a fair shot at a better future. This bill also slashes funding for the Department of Energy's energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. Programs that help make power more affordable, more reliable, and more secure for millions of Americans.
▶ 8:16:36For rural communities where access to efficient and affordable energy is already limited, these cuts are not theoretical. There are real threats to affordability, economic opportunity, and basic quality of life. And on national security, reductions to the nuclear the national nuclear security administration's defense non-prololiferation programs are particularly alarming.
▶ 8:17:05These programs helped us detect and prevent nuclear threats and uphold global arms control agreements. Weakening them in today's geopolitical climate is not just it's dangerous. Let me be clear. The United States has already lost more than $15 billion in cancelled clean energy investments along with over 12,000 jobs.
▶ 8:17:33We cannot afford to lose more ground in the global energy transition, nor can we allow our grid to remain vulnerable as demand continues to surge with AI, advanced manufacturing, and data infrastructure. At a time when we should be working together to strengthen our national resilience economically, environmentally, and technologically, we're instead debating a bill saved by partisanship rather than by progress.
▶ 8:18:03And we must firmly reject any attempts to weaponize this legislation with discriminatory policy writers that undermine diversity, equity, or inclusion or scientific regulation. Division and distraction will not build a stronger America. Only unity and focus will. This committee holds immense We controls the tool.
▶ 8:18:31We control the tools to shape the future and this bill in its current for current form simply fails to meet this moment. Let's rise above partisanship. Let's focus to build on what really matters. That's building a more affordable, secure, and prosperous future for the American people. Thank you. With that, the bill is not ripe. It's not ready. I urge us to vote against it so that we can improve it.
▶ 8:19:01And with that, I yield back. I thank the gentleman. The gentleman from Washington, Mr. New House, is recognized for general remarks about the Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Deloro, uh, Ranking Member Captor or Captain, whichever the case may be, and certainly chairman Fleshman.
▶ 8:19:24I want to thank all of you as well as all the staff and also the members of the subcommittee in particular for their hard work on this year's energy and water development related energy uh bill particularly for paying attention and incorporating many of the needs of each of our uh each of our districts.
▶ 8:19:44Uh this bill, as you as you've heard, prioritizes funding that bolsters our national energy and economic security, but while at the same time promoting economic competitiveness. This legislation fulfills crucial needs for the nation and for all of our constituents. And in particular, there's a few things in this bill that I would like to point out that I'm very pleased to see. First off would be the prioritization of the Hanford cleanup.
▶ 8:20:13As you know this this the site will begin to vitrify low activity waste later this year and high activity waste in the coming years. As Miss Captor pointed out, this is something we want to continue. It's ab absolutely imperative to provide the site with the resources that it needs to continue its work effectively and uninterrupted.
▶ 8:20:37It also increases the funding to the office of science by $110 million which supports very important initiatives such as our nation's national laboratories of which I am very proud to represent the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in my district. Things such as fusion energy sciences which support bringing fusion energy to the grid.
▶ 8:21:01The bill also increases investments in nuclear energy by $110 million, which includes things like small modular reactors and advanced reactor reactor demonstration projects, as well as the advanced nuclear fuel availability program to advance production of highass lowenriched uranium.
▶ 8:21:22The bill also provides adequate resources for the army army corps of engineers which operates the lower snake river dams in the state of Washington which are crucial pieces of infra infrastructure that provide energy transportation as well as many agricultural benefits to the region. It increases funding for the Indian energy policy programs which promote tribal energy development and enhance and strengthen tribal infrastructure.
▶ 8:21:53The bill also safeguards energy and technology assets from being used by foreign adversaries such as Russia and China. Additionally, there's two items I also want to mention in this bill that I believe are crucial to our nation's security as well as our energy future. They're the the Department of Energy's defense nuclear non-prololiferation program as well as the efficiency and renewable energy office of DOE.
▶ 8:22:22First of all, it's imperative that funding continue for the DNN to work globally to stop and state and non-state actors from developing nuclear weapons. And this this bill provides nearly $2 billion for this purpose. Additionally, the bill provides more than 1 billion uh more than the president's uh uh budget request to the department of energy uh for the office of energy efficiency and renewable energy.
▶ 8:22:53This office has been at the forefront as you know of significant technological advancements in critical and innovative energy technologies such as water power and thermal geothermal as well as other things.
▶ 8:23:06And in as you've heard by others mentioned in this age of growing energy demand uh we need to continue to explore the various available energy generation sources to maintain reliable s sources of energy secure energy for the grid to meet the growing demand of the future.
▶ 8:23:26So my my goal is for all of us to continue working together with this committee as well as our Senate counterparts to ensure that Congress produces a final bill that when signed into law provides sufficient funding to these vital programs such such as I've mentioned al all while ensuring that we appropriate taxpayer dollars in a very responsible and pragmatic manner.
▶ 8:23:52So, I look forward to passing this bill and continuing to work continue the hard work of funding these important Also, Mr. Chairman, if you'll indulge me just for a second. I know our staffs do a lot of the staffs do a lot of the work that uh go into these these committee hearings and the production that we we are able to get across the finish line.
▶ 8:24:14I would like to just um for a second uh add a little thanks to one of my staff members standing or sitting behind me, Mr. David Meest. Even though he has every reason to be preoccupied with things going on at home, he's expecting if you see him run out of the room, he's expecting a phone call because there's a new baby baby boy coming very soon.
▶ 8:24:39Um, so we want to say congratulations to David and his family and and just generally thanks to all of our staffs for the for the sacrifices they they make on our behalf. So, thank you indeed. Congratulations. Um, gentle lady from Minnesota, Miss McCullum is recognized for opening comments about the bill.
▶ 8:25:03I rise today um to oppose fiscal year 2026 energy and water development and rural related agencies appropriation bill. The bill before us today cuts energy efficiency programs by 50% fails to advance America's clean energy innovation and at the direction of Elon Musk and doge the bill shutters important offices in the department of energy like the office of clean energy demonstrations.
▶ 8:25:28These programs are designed to help Americans consume less energy and lower their energy bills and to invest in what America does best, research, development, innovation, and new technologies. This bill fails to deliver on any of these fronts. As ranking member on the defense uh subcommittee, I am very aware that DoD has considered climate change to be a top national security issue.
▶ 8:25:56Climate change is impacting populations and nations around the globe, making our world more unpredictable and yes, less The bill before us today cuts um well, I lost a page here. I can I'm going to be imprompted and short because of my voice.
▶ 8:26:18Any ways, one of the things that we found out um when I first was on the defense committee is the way climate change was impacting the cost of doing the work that we do in the department of defense. Perafrost in Alaska back and forth, making uh runways unusable. We had to move runways, build them some other place. The Army Corps of Engineers investing tens of millions of dollars to figure out how to deal with perafrost.
▶ 8:26:46The thing that I found most frightening, and I have a picture here, and um it's a little hard to see, but this these are two radar installations being propped up in uh in the in the high north. And you can see that they are on a little pillar of ice that's left, which used to be a big mountain of ice. So, we have radar installations that are falling into the ocean.
▶ 8:27:15It is really impacting our ability to be able to uh efficiently and effectively use Department of Defense dollars to provide homeland security right here at home for the for our our shores. But something that's really impacted uh a lot is uh what's happening with uh weatherization programs. Um I've worked on this a lot. I bet a lot of you have been out to weatherization uh programs by one of your community uh CAP agencies at some point.
▶ 8:27:45This bill cuts weatherization by 44%. Now, this program is an investment in life, health, and safety. And in Minnesota, it's important. Minnesota right now is experiencing one of the warmest uh uh summers we've ever had. We've had already in July uh record-breaking heat nine nine days over uh 90 degrees.
▶ 8:28:10And a lot of Minnesota homes don't have air conditioning because this hasn't been a problem that we've we've had to face before in the past. We're facing it now. And weatherization is something that not only helps us in the winter, it can help us in the summer as well. So, the 90°ree weather and we're only halfway through the summer. It's going to get hotter.
▶ 8:28:32The extreme weather that's happening now because of climate change is costing my constituents more on energy bills, keeping themselves and their families and their homes safe from these extreme weather events. Now, we are also seeing extreme cold weather events at the same time. So, this is really impacting what we do. We want to be able to conserve energy. We want to be able to keep our homes safe and comfortable and we can't do that unless we have weatherization programs available.
▶ 8:29:03Now I can afford to do some things weatherization myself but the majority of my constituents can't. Weatherization programs serve low-income motans and the most v vulnerable by giving them uh preference to their homes with children, the elderly or people with disabilities who are more susceptible to especially heat. Fixed and lowincome households, especially seniors with annual incomes under 50% of the area media income, carry a larger burden for energy costs.
▶ 8:29:33These households typically spend over 15% of their annual income on energy. While households like mine only spend about 3%. That means low-income motans and Americans sometimes cut back on health care, medicine, groceries, some cases child care to heat or cool their homes. Weatherization programs can help them save up to 40% on their weatherization bill. I think that's a good investment for our constituents.
▶ 8:30:05um I just uh am so disappointed that we've reached a point here in the Congress at times that it's uncomfortable or impossible to talk about what is happening with our climate. It's impacting our national security. It's impacting our economic security. It's impacting our constituents personal security.
▶ 8:30:27So, the failure to support everyday Americans who are struggling to page their bill with heating and cooling, just taking one aspect of this bill with the weatherization cuts, it's just something right now I can't vote for. So, I hope that um in the future we can do a better job as this uh as this moves forward and uh get it right. Get it right for our constituents. The climate is changing and it's time for the climate in here to start recognizing it.
▶ 8:30:54With that, I yield I thank the gentle lady. Chair now recognizes the distinguished dean of the house and former chairman of the full committee, Chairman Rogers, for his opening remarks on the bill as well as ranking members Delaro and Marcy Captor.
▶ 8:31:23Uh, I want to thank you on behalf of all of the rest of us for the great work that you put into this bill. and especially my gratitude for your continued support for the Appalachian Regional Commission.
▶ 8:31:41Uh the Appalachian Regional Commission, many of you know, ARC, has been a very invaluable partner for Appalachia since its inception in 1965.
▶ 8:31:57uh ARC investments have propelled our region forward, especially after the decline of the coal industry uh and repeated disasters, tornadoes, flooding uh and the like. So, thanks to the ARC, the regional poverty rate has been cut by more than half.
▶ 8:32:23Additionally, the number of high poverty has been cut by more than 60%. So, we've got a good thing going here. Um, you're getting a good return on your The Appalachian Regional Commission, as you know, covers some 13 states of the Appalachian region of the beset by a lot of difficulties.
▶ 8:32:51But the bill that you support, you've included ARC in in the report in the but you're cutting $80 million from their budget. Now, for lots of agencies, that's not a big deal. With ARC, it is.
▶ 8:33:15Uh they're cut to the bare bones Uh so I I would hope that we could the needs of the ARC and keep it going. Um, in fact, in the past five years, the ARC has supported the creation of over 20,000 businesses and over 113,000 while also bringing in nearly
▶ 8:33:457 billion dollar in nonfederal investment. That, my friends, is real impactful economic development in a region that is desperate for it. So, I want to thank Chairman Fleshman. He's been a big supporter of ARC for a long time.
▶ 8:34:07Uh, and I want to thank him for his work on this bill and on the ARC portion of of the bill. So, thank you, sir. And Mr. Chairman, thank you and I yield back. I thank the gentleman. The gentleman from South Carolina, Mr. Klyber is recognized for uh remarks on the bill. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 8:34:34Thank you so much for the record leading our entire committee. I want to thank uh the chairman of the subcommittee and thank you very much uh representative captor for your tremendous leadership. Mr. today marks the fifth anniversary of John Lewis, our former colleagueues death.
▶ 8:35:01Uh John and I uh often while serving in this body together talked about our rural upbringing. John in Alabama and me and um less rural but rules South And one of the things that we talked about was the lack of investment that we make in rural communities.
▶ 8:35:30And I am very concerned about that because coming from South Carolina, uh my mother had uh 11 siblings. She was the only one of the 12 uh uh that stayed in South Carolina. They left looking for well of the sisters anyway. They left looking for a better life.
▶ 8:36:02And I want to thank Chairman Rogers for his advocacy for Appalachia Regional Planning Commission. Uh, and I want to thank the committee uh for including I think $15 million for the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission. That was a cut. seven counties, seven states, I'm sorry, that that uh regional commission uh serves.
▶ 8:36:31And I want to thank Chairman Captive for uh or ranking member captive for all of the help she's given me over the years. And we were trying to keep these regional commissions alive and we couldn't get any money for them.
▶ 8:36:46uh but every year we would put in just a little more money uh so that we could keep them alive and finally uh we got the committees up and going uh and I think it's around 25 or 30 minute but we've cut it down to 15 here. Well, let me tell you a little bit about rural um in the little town of Summerton, South Carolina.
▶ 8:37:15And uh you may not know Summitton very well. It's Claren County. It is a little town where Briggs v. Elliot, the forerunner of what became Brown Board of Education of Tama, Kansas. That case started in the little town of Summerton, South Carolina, uh is the original of the five cases became Brown v. Board.
▶ 8:37:39I mentioned Summerton today because two years ago the entire water system in Summerton failed. Nobody in the whole town had water.
▶ 8:37:54They all had to go out and resort to wells and in an area where when the health department test the water, they had to rely upon it was not safe to That's what this committee is all about and that's what Appalachia has been doing over the years. That's what the Southeast Crescent is all about.
▶ 8:38:18We need to fund these agencies and I uh though 15 million is better than nothing. Uh it will not do the things that are necessary uh to improve these rural communities.
▶ 8:38:35And just the other day when we uh designed a new bridge uh on I 95 uh I held out my support for that bridge until such time as I could get the highway department to agree to design the bridge so that we could pipes on that bridge to get water from one county into Clar County so the people of Summerton can now get safe drinking water.
▶ 8:39:06That's the kind of creativity we need to be putting in this work. And I want to thank you for the work you're doing. Uh but just to say to the committee uh that what you're doing to Appalachia with these cuts, what you're doing the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission with these cuts is not good for the health and well-being of the people of rural America. And with that, I yield back. Balance my time. I thank the gentleman.
▶ 8:39:35Uh the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Cloud, is recognized for remarks on the bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I want to thank Chairman Fchman for their hard work on this bill. Really, really appreciate it, especially in light of the fiscal crisis that we find our nation in.
▶ 8:39:52you were able to find savings and yet direct us away from the disastrous Biden energy policies and toward priorities which will make us stronger, more resilient, and prepared to handle the energy needs of the future. And so, thank you for that. This bill accomplishes the president's priorities that include cutting away waste, fraud, and abuse, preserving our nuclear stockpile so America can continue the president's mandate of peace through strength, and restoring energy security and dominance.
▶ 8:40:20Speaking of energy, 5.1 billion in mostly green new deal priorities are being transferred to various nuclear programs, including the advanced reactor demonstration program. This helps diversify our energy sources to compete with countries like China and Russia. In addition, close to 5 billion uh in Army Corps funding is included that improve navigation and operating waterways for vessels and strengthens our economy.
▶ 8:40:49As a member that has a district bordering the bulk of the coastline of Texas, I certainly appreciate these funds and what they have to offer and know many other members will think the same. Ship channels like the Madagorta ship channel and Corpus Christie ship channels in my district provide waterways and imports for ex and exports for resources like liqufied natural gas, crude oil, fertilizers, and petrochemicals.
▶ 8:41:12The Port of Corpus Christi, the number one's energy export port, exports the highest amount of crude oil in the country with 62 65.2 million tons just in the first half of 2025. It exports a high amount of liqufied natural gas with 8.5 million tons in the first half of this year. And customers also moved 102.4 4 million tons of commodities through the channel in the first half of 2025, making a record year half year for the port.
▶ 8:41:41This port's second quarter this year also broke its own record with 51.1 million tons of commodities. Funding for the operations and maintenance as well as funds for investigations and construction make these waterways possible to use in an efficient manner.
▶ 8:41:56Furthermore, in addressing the water needs across the nation, like those found in South Texas, this bill contains language pointing to dissalination projects to help us receive research and development funds, water infrastructure funding in the bill also focuses on water recycling projects. And once again, I want to thank you for the great work in both finding savings, but focusing our nation's priorities on what really matters. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your hard work and your team. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your leadership, and I yield back.
▶ 8:42:26I thank the gentleman for his remarks. The gentle lady from Florida, Miss Wamman Schultz, is recognized for general remarks on the bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Today, we consider a funding bill that should advance America's energy leadership, should strengthen our national security, and should lower costs for families. Instead, this Republican proposal does the opposite.
▶ 8:42:50It raises costs, seeds ground to our adversaries, and abandons working families so billionaires, and big polluters can line their pockets. Inflation rose to 2.7% in June with higher prices for goods like furniture, toys, and clothing. These products are sensitive to tariffs, and these price hikes are already showing up in household budgets across America.
▶ 8:43:11But economists warn it's just the beginning as more businesses are expected to pass more tariff costs on to consumers in the coming months, pushing inflation even higher. Instead of fueling this cost of living crisis with reckless trade and fiscal policies, we should invest in solutions that lower costs and strengthen our economy. But this bill slashes over $675 million from non-defense investments compared to last year. What it means on the ground is devastating.
▶ 8:43:39Nearly cutting clean energy programs in half, revoking over $5 billion in infrastructure investments, and eliminating the Office of Clean Energy demonstrations entirely. It means energy price spikes for families and businesses at a time when Americans already struggle with high costs of living. It means we abandon US energy independence, kill good paying jobs in clean energy and manufacturing, and leave our country more vulnerable to global supply shocks.
▶ 8:44:07Republicans on this committee are also cutting the National Nuclear Security Administration's nuclear non-prololiferation efforts by 17%. At a time when nuclear threats from our adversaries are rising and you are abandoning the communities still waiting for radioactive waste cleanup by slashing the Department of Energy's environmental management office and zeroing out the Army Corps's remediation program. This bill turns out the lights on innovation, undermines our competitiveness, and leaves working families to pick up the tab.
▶ 8:44:36All to protect tax breaks and profits for billionaires and polluters. Since 1980, energy efficiency investments saved Americans over $800 billion on their utility bills. But Republicans want to gut the very programs that lower those costs.
▶ 8:44:52I reject this backward, reckless vision, and I'll keep fighting for a budget that delivers energy independence, protects our national security, creates jobs, lowers costs, and keeps America competitive because our families, workers, and communities deserve nothing less. Thank you. I yield back the balance of my time. Thank the gentle lady. The gentleman from New York, Mr. Espat, is recognized for general remarks on the bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 8:45:19Um, I rise in opposition to this bill. Um, it does very little, if nothing uh to address the realities of environmental injustice. What it actually does is uh actively invest in initiatives that will further pollute the earth and harm many frontline communities.
▶ 8:45:41For example, it cuts the department of energy efficiency and renewable energy programs in half and eliminates funding for the office of clean energy demonstrations fueling our already devastated climate crisis.
▶ 8:45:59This bill proposes to remove at least $90 billion from the clean energy economy which is f is funding that is needed needed to prevent natural disasters caused obviously by climate change.
▶ 8:46:13This year we've seen uh increasing extreme weather patterns especially across the south with fatal flash floods in Texas, New Mexico and catastrophic hurricanes in North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, and Georgia as well as seeing the devastating California wildfires. Mr. uh Mr. Chairman, uh Mother Earth is talking to us and we're not listening.
▶ 8:46:40Uh earlier this week, New York City subways, subway stations uh saw severe flooding because of heavy heavy heavy rainfall across the country. Underserved communities are taking a the brunt of the poor environmental practices. Those communities contribute less to the climate crisis and yet uh are disproportionately hurt.
▶ 8:47:07Uh, communities of color breathe in 40% more polluted air than other communities. Uh, uh, black folks make up 13% of the US population and 68% live within 30 miles of a coal fire power plant. So, these are the conditions that these this bill does not address. The longer we ignore the impact of climate change, the more damage we will see in our community.
▶ 8:47:34This bill is not a serious attempt at addressing climate change and environmental issues in addition to stripping funding from vital program. It also includes senseless and hateful writers. I urge my colleagues to vote against it and I yield back. I thank the gentleman. The gentleman from California, Mr. Leven, is recognized for general remarks on the Well, thank you, Mr. chairman and thank you to my friends chairman Fleshman rank member Captor.
▶ 8:48:05Uh sincerely appreciate all the hard work that went into writing this bill and I'm sincerely disappointed that I cannot support it as currently written. Uh one big reason is that it drastically underfunds and even zeros out some key programs that support energy security and and water security. Uh I join the appropriations committee uh in no small part because it's one of the few bastions where bipartisanship is alive and well. At least I sincerely hope that to be the case.
▶ 8:48:35uh and I specifically wanted to be a part of the energy and water subcommittee uh was my uh personal and professional background before Congress and I sincerely hope that in the future I can support a bipartisan product from the subcommittee that supports yes our energy dominance but also dominance in the industries of the future.
▶ 8:48:56Unfortunately, the bill zeros out funding for the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, which fills a critical innovation gap to bring clean energy technologies from the lab to the market. Uh the office has bipartisan support and has been essential to helping American companies win in the race to develop modern, cleaner, more innovative energy technologies. Look, China and other global competitors are eating our lunch right now when it comes to clean energy.
▶ 8:49:22China invested $940 billion alone just in 2024 in clean energy. And they're not doing it because they want to save the planet. They're doing it because it makes good economic sense. Because they want to win the future. I want for America to win the future when it comes to clean energy dominance. Uh and even Elon Musk agrees that this should be a wakeup call for the United States. We should be investing in the clean energy technology of the future.
▶ 8:49:50I fear that this bill will further seed our leadership in industries of the future, cleaner, cheaper technologies, and there's simply no way we can achieve energy dominance while cutting out clean, cheap energy. Uh I just don't want for America to be left behind. Uh not to mention, the bill also treads, I believe, pretty dangerously on federalism and the balance of state and federal powers.
▶ 8:50:16Specifically, the bill report calls into question states abilities to develop their own policies to achieve energy dominance and doubles down on identifying and halting state energy laws that don't align with national energy policy plans, which in my view favor outdated technologies. It's a shakeddown of federalism and the ability for states to continue their work in advancing uh American energy dominance. In my view, the bill does not meet the moment.
▶ 8:50:44I I could go on and on, but together all these policies, in my view, will leave America lagging behind with the American people left to foot the bill. I hear from constituents all the time, and I bet you do also about how expensive their utility bills are. And I fear that this bill will just further drive up those bills.
▶ 8:51:06Finally, I would be remiss if I did not uh mention something more positive, a good bipartisan issue uh that I've been working with the chairman on for quite some time. That's addressing the spent nuclear fuel challenges that impact communities all across the country. You're going to continue to hear me say this until we get the problem addressed. As of the end of the last fiscal year, DOE estimated the total liability for dealing with the waste from only the existing nuclear fleet, not even any new or advanced reactors being contemplated.
▶ 8:51:37That existing liability is $ 48.7 billion paid for with taxpayer dollars. Particularly frustrating since these expenses add to the federal deficit without any budgetary or appropriations considerations. I'd rather be spending money to solve this problem instead of sending money down the drain to pay for past mistakes. Uh and even as the country pursues reprocessing, and the bill does provide funding for that, we will still need a plan for the disposal of the waste from reprocessing.
▶ 8:52:08And we will still need a consolidated interim storage facility either alongside a reprocessing facility or on its own or potentially multiple rep multiple um consolidated interim storage facilities. So I I sincerely appreciate the bipartisan interest in finally breaking the stalemate on spent nuclear fuel. And I know that Chairman Fleshman and I have a caucus focused on solutions. I hope if you're interested, I hope you join us.
▶ 8:52:36Uh, and if the administration truly wants to quadruple nuclear energy in this country, we can't keep leaving nuclear waste stranded at sites all across the country. So with that, Mr. Chairman, thank you and I yield back. I thank the gentleman. The gentle lady from Illinois, Miss Underwood, is recognized for general remarks on the Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I strongly oppose the fiscal year 2026 energy and water development and related agencies appropriations bill that we're considering today.
▶ 8:53:06This bill fails to meet the needs of the American people. It raises energy costs for families. It undermines our national security and makes it harder for American companies to compete globally. It protects the biggest corporations from accountability when they pollute our communities. and it worsens climate change and extreme weather when American farmers and communities across the country are already feeling those deadly impacts.
▶ 8:53:32Republicans like to say that they support American energy dominance, but what they're willing do really doing here is about corporate energy dependence. This bill is about propping up fossil fuel billionaires while working families pick up the tab. This bill doesn't just stall progress on renewable energy, it actively blocks it. It slams the brakes on American innovation and cheap renewable energy.
▶ 8:53:58This bill rips away $5.1 billion in investments from the bipartisan infrastructure law. Funds that were already promised to the American people with bipartisan support that's supposed to help us build a cleaner, more secure energy future right here in the US. We're talking about programs that support everything from modernizing our clean energy technology to energy upgrades in public schools.
▶ 8:54:24Republicans are so committed to fossil fuels that they're willing to defund clean energy upgrades in schools even as kids are roasting in classrooms without AC. These bipartisan infrastructure law funds created real jobs and real savings for communities and Republicans are snatching them back. Meanwhile, in my community in northern Illinois, we are living with the consequences of climate change.
▶ 8:54:51Right now, we've seen record temperatures this summer, flooding in Lasal, and hail damaging crops in Menota and Decalp, and devastating storms in Will County last year. Cutting climate change programs is neither cost-saving nor efficient. It shifts those costs onto taxpayers when disaster strikes and ends up costing local communities even more.
▶ 8:55:15Just eight months ago, Congress had to spend $20 million, 20 billion with a B, to compensate farmers hit by climate fuels disasters. We can either pay more and more and more to clean up after climate disasters or we can make smart investments right now in resilience, weatherization, and clean energy infrastructure that prevents those disasters in the first place.
▶ 8:55:43We could be creating good jobs in research, construction, and advanced We could be investing in the American workforce while protecting our communities. But instead, instead this administration fires the people who collect climate data and they pretend that there isn't a problem. But in Ottawa and Dalb and Menota, families are feeling the heat. Literally, it's hot. So hot physically and financially.
▶ 8:56:14They don't get to pretend the crisis isn't real. They're living it and they're paying higher costs as a result. Republicans just passed their one big ugly bill, which will raise household energy bills by $110 a year. Now, they're going even further to undermine our energy independence and slash funding for programs that deliver clean and affordable energy.
▶ 8:56:36But while Republicans may not be committed to lowering your energy bills, they are absolutely committed to spending time and taxpayer dollars to protect Confederate names on federal property. which this bill does. They claim that they're putting America first, but in they're glorifying Confederate traders who waged war against the United States to preserve slavery.
▶ 8:57:05So, we're in a cost of living crisis. Families are getting slammed by rising energy bills. Our farmers are losing crops to climate disasters. and Republicans are focused on celebrating the Confederacy. This bill is a disaster. It's a disaster for our economy, our climate, and working families, and I strongly urge my colleagues to reject it. I yield back.
▶ 8:57:35Thank the gentle lady. The gentleman from Indiana, Mr. Morvan, is recognized for opening comment or comments on the poll and ranking member Deloro, Chairman Fleshman, and Ranking Member Captor for the opportunity to speak on fiscal year 26 energy and water appropriations bill. Located along the shores of Lake Michigan, Indiana's first congressional district is at the center of a vital port networks in the Great Lakes.
▶ 8:58:00The Army Corps of Engineers Chicago District is an important federal partner in maintaining this infrastructure and facilitating economic development and environmental stewardship in the region. I'm grateful that this bill includes funding for the Army Corps for the maintenance and our commercial and recreational harbors and for the improving clean water infrastructure for the residents of Northwest Indiana. However, I cannot support these partisan cuts that will slash American jobs, raise energy costs, and make us all less safe.
▶ 8:58:27This bill doubles down on efforts to eliminate large-scale projects created by the bipartisan infrastructure law. In particular, the bill wipes out all funding for the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, which is charged with overseeing the development of the hydrogen hub projects. In Northwest Indiana, the Midwest hydrogen hub was slated to generate almost 12,000 direct jobs over the project's lifetime in manufacturing, infrastructure, and energy sector.
▶ 8:58:56The building trades in my district were planning uh apprenticeships and relying on these massive investments to create jobs only to see the project undermined by bad policy. In April, it was reported that Department of Energy sought to kill the project which had already been awarded in the first trunch of funding. In May, the House Ways and Means Committee released its portion of the so-called One Big Beautiful bill, which aggressively rolled back the clean hydrogen tax credits that provided critical economic incentives for the hydrogen production.
▶ 8:59:26Then in June, BPM AO and Whiting announced the decision to pause the project indefinitely. It's clear that the federal government serves as an important partner in building these critical projects that would strengthen our energy security, generate thousands of American jobs, and enhance our global competitiveness. I cannot support a bill that further erodess the efforts. Finally, the bill underfunds essential non-prololiferation programs that make our communities safer.
▶ 8:59:52The 17% cut to the defense nuclear non-prololiferation account makes it more difficult to combat the threat of nuclear terrorism at a time when our adversaries are strengthening and investing in their nuclear arsenals. The energy and water appropriations bill is intended to pro promote economic and environmental health in our communities, lower costs for hardworking families, and address the threat of nuclear proliferation. These objectives should not be partisan.
▶ 9:00:21However, this bill ne neglects to invest in long-term efforts to strengthen our energy security, grow our economy, and make our nation safer. I urge my colleagues to reject this partisan legislation instead work in a bipartisan manner to promote the health and safety of our communities. With that, I yield back. Thank the gentleman. The gentle lady from Pennsylvania, Miss Dean, is recognized for remarks on the bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 9:00:50I rise in opposition to the energy and water development and related agencies appropriations bill of 2026. One of my biggest concerns with this bill are the massive cuts to program that fund energy research and innovation.
▶ 9:01:04The bill would cut the advanced research projects agency uh program by $110 million compared with Further, it would cut the energy efficiency and renewable energy uh programs by 1.6 6 billion or 47% compared with FY25. My state, Pennsylvania, stands to lose 87 million thanks to the proposed cuts to the EER.
▶ 9:01:33I presume my Republican colleagues rationale for these cuts has something to do with a reluctance to spend money on anything so-called green energy and of course this administration's desire to prioritize fossil fuels above all else. But here's the thing. Investments in energy innovation and sustainability are not only good for the environment, but they're also good for the bottom line, and they're also good for our national security.
▶ 9:01:59Earlier this week, my fellow Pennian, Senator Dave McCormack, convened government and industry leaders, including President Trump at Carnegie Melon University for an inaugural energy and innovation summit. Pennsylvania has tremendous technology and energy assets thanks to our innovative companies, worldclass universities and manufacturing legacy.
▶ 9:02:22And given these resources, we are incredibly well situated to be a major player in the AI economy, which as we know is incredibly energyintensive. As part of this summit, a number of private companies announced investments in related infrastructure, data centers, energy and power, and workforce training. something like a 90 billion dollar deal in total. And you know what the common thread was for companies announcing these investments?
▶ 9:02:48The attractiveness of our region thanks to research and technology innovation. And do you know what has funded much of this research and innovation? Federal investments. So cuts to federal investments like these, combined with what has already been rolled back by the administration, not only jeopardizes private sector investment, but also raises energy costs for everyday Americans and puts us at a strategic disadvantage compared to our global competitors.
▶ 9:03:16Thanks to cuts to the clean energy tax credit uh in the one big ugly bill, energy costs have are expected to rise across the country. The biggest increases will be in Republican states. I'm sorry to tell. But when it comes to the race to power the future, we are losing substantial ground to China.
▶ 9:03:37China is dominating the clean energy technology space and is bringing their technologies to the rest of the world, building factories and infrastructure in Brazil, Thailand, South Africa, all over the world. While this administration wants to bring back the supremacy of fossil fuels, the rest of the world is moving on and this administration is holding us further behind and is pulling us farther behind. I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing this bill bill and Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
▶ 9:04:08Thank gentle lady. Gentle lady from Nevada, Miss Lee is recognized for general remarks on the bill. Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, thank you, Chairman Fleshman. Good to see you and thanks for your support and work. And ranking member Captor.
▶ 9:04:26Uh, unfortunately, I rise today in opposition to this bill because it, uh, undermines key energy priorities for Nevada and needlessly jeopardizes our water supply, which is incredibly important. And I'm particularly disappointed to see, Mr. chairman that this bill makes immense cuts to water smart. Uh this is an essential for water sustainability in southern Nevada and throughout the west.
▶ 9:04:53I'm sure my colleagues have seen pictures of uh the dangerously low water levels at Lake Meade and Lake Pal. And a majority of my state is currently experiencing drought and continues to uh confront the effects of the worst mega drought to hit our region in,200 years.
▶ 9:05:14And I'm also sure that my colleagues are aware of the ongoing negotiations of the seven Colorado River basin states on how to best share water from the Colorado River from 2027 onward. Uh this is for more than 40 million people who rely on the Colorado River. And that is why I am concerned that this bill provides only $90 million for water smart program.
▶ 9:05:39a reduction of nearly $57 million from current funding levels. You know, through water uh smart, the Bureau of Reclamation works cooperatively with states, tribes, local stakeholders to conserve and increase water supply. It would take many years for above normal western snowpack for Lake me to return to even near capacity.
▶ 9:06:06And that's with signs pointing towards an even drier future requiring this type of innovative collaborative approach to water conservation. Water smart projects are saving an estimated 1.14 million acre feet of water per year. All told, enough for 4.6 million people.
▶ 9:06:30This is nearly four times as much water as Nevada's annual Colorado River allocation. To me, when you think of ROI, efficiency, the use of government funding, this is a program that works and works well.
▶ 9:06:46In our state, the Southern Nevada Water Authority has long benefited from WSmart with funding supporting projects ranging from communitywide transition to desert friendly landscaping to the restoration of the Las Vegas wash. This is a drainage channel uh which returns about 200 million gallons of water per day to Lake Me.
▶ 9:07:09I'm also deeply disappointed that this bill slashes the Department of Energy's efficiency and renewable energy programs by 1.6 billion dollars or 47% eliminating resources that provide for clean, affordable, and secure energy and ensure America's leadership in the transition to global clean energy economy. In a state like Nevada, we have more than 300 sunny days per year.
▶ 9:07:38So solar energy is not just an environmental boom, it's an economic boon for our state. And beyond its massive cuts to solar and other DOE clean energy offices, this bill also revokes a staggering 5.1 billion dollars that was passed in a bipartisan infrastructure law. I mean, we all agreed on it. We passed it.
▶ 9:08:04This is $5.1 billion from DOE programs that support initiatives like battery recycling and energy improvement in public schools. Now, Mr. Chairman, I'll say thank you that this bill does get one thing right, and that is not putting a single dollar towards licensing or construction of the Yucka Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository. Thank you.
▶ 9:08:30For decades, Neadans have made it abundantly clear we will not be the nation's dumping g ground for nuclear waste. But Mr. Chairman, I remain committed to working with you to find a solution to our nation's nuclear waste problem. That being said, I unfortunately cannot support this bill in its current form, which slashes funding for water infrastructure and clean energy and takes money away from our schools and critical infrastructure.
▶ 9:08:56This bill threatens western water resources, undermines America's leadership in clean energy, and does nothing to lower costs for working Americans. And I urge my colleagues to vote no. Thank you. Thank the gentle lady. Are there other members wishing to make general comments about the bill? Seeing none, I would like to recognize Chairman Flashman to offer a manager's amendment.
▶ 9:09:31Thank you, Mr. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, manager's amendment has been worked out with my distinguished ranking member, uh, Marcy Captor, and u, I urge its support and adoption. With that, I'll yield. Thank the gentleman. The gentle lady from Ohio, Miss Captor, is recognized for remarks on the manager's amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 9:09:57and I rise in support of this amendment and have worked with Chair Fleshman to agree on non-controversial changes and have no objections to the amendment and yield Sorry, the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Quayar is recognized for remarks on the manager's amendment. Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank the uh chairman and ranking member for two particular provisions that are important for a lot of folks.
▶ 9:10:24The first one has to do with the flash flood uh preparedness. Um you know, I went to go, this happened in Chip Royy's uh district, but I used to live in that area. Uh my kids went to summer camp about uh close by to that area, Camp Longhorn some years ago. Very familiar with that area. Uh talked to a lot of the first responders, the federal, the state, the local uh responders.
▶ 9:10:49And this uh provision that uh that's been added is going to be very helpful to provide some assistance uh some technical knowledge uh to the local uh folks that we have there. The second one is the last part of it that deals with the uh Amistad Dam which is in uh Congressman Gonzalez district and then Falcon Lake that's a dam that's in my area.
▶ 9:11:12uh adding the language about rehab is is very key uh because it's not only building or the operations but the actual uh rehab because those both dams need some help. There's some work underneath uh that needs to be taken care of otherwise we're going to have a bigger problem. So by adding that language of rehab and providing some of that maintenance is going to be very key. So Mr. Chairman, thank you so much and ranking member for those two particular provisions. And with that, I yield back, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 9:11:43I thank the gentleman. Do any other members seek recognition to speak on the If not, I recognize Chairman Fleshman for one minute to close. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll be brief. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment and yield back the balance of my time. I thank the gentleman. The questions now on the amendment. All those in favor say I. All those opposed say no. The opinion of the chair.
▶ 9:12:09The eyes have it and the manager's amendment is Chair now recognizes Mr. Clyde of Georgia for an amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at the desk and I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be considered as read. Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentleman is recognized for remarks on his amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 9:12:39I rise today to offer my common sense amendment that would help keep US Army Corps of Engineer operated parks open at the multiple lakes in my district as well as for the recreational sites at Army Corps operated projects across the country.
▶ 9:12:53This amendment would allow local partners that manage multiple recreational sites at US Army Corps Works projects to apply user fees collected at one site to pay the expenses at any other site that they oversee at that project rather than being limited to spend the fees only at the specific site where the funds were collected and that which is the current law. uh constructed by the Army Corps in the 1950s.
▶ 9:13:19The largest lake in my district is Lake Laneir and it is the most visited US Army Corps project in the entire United States with over 12 million visitors every year and a more than 900 million dollar economic impact in the local area. It has 76 recreational areas including 37 core operated parks and campgrounds, 10 marinas, and the Lake Islands. The remaining 29 sites are leased to local governments or other organizations.
▶ 9:13:47However, due to staffing shortages, the US Army Corps of Engineers has been unable to keep all of its recreational sites on the lake open and well-maintained over the summer months, the busiest season for the lake. In fact, this year, the Army Corps originally announced nearly 20 temporary park closures just days before Memorial Day. While numerous parks have reopened in recent weeks due to congressional efforts, this amendment provides a permanent solution to help keep these sites open and avoid additional closures in the future.
▶ 9:14:20Current law enables local governments that partner with Army Corps to spend user fees they collect from parks and campgrounds that they manage, but only on expenses at the same park where the fees were collected. This creates issues for day use day use parks that don't charge fees as they have maintenance expenses but no revenue source.
▶ 9:14:40Therefore, local governments are less likely to want to manage these sites given that there are no funds available to support their upkeep and would have to be supported entirely out of the local municipalities budget. This amendment allows fees collected at a park that runs a surplus to be used on parks that either don't charge fees and therefore have no revenue source to to pay maintenance expenses or on parks running a deficit because the fees they collect don't raise enough to cover the maintenance costs.
▶ 9:15:08This amendment fixes the problem by providing local governments with more flexibility to keep all recreational sites open, safe, and clean, regardless of whether the area charges fees or not. Expanding local government's authority over user fees provides a strong incentive for cities and governments to lease additional recreational sites from the US Army Corps of Engineers. Therefore, ensuring more areas remain open to the public. And I believe in assisting local control as much as possible.
▶ 9:15:35And the Army Corps even confirmed to me that in the areas where it makes sense to lease the parks, that local control does the best job. In short, my amendment offers a simple yet effective solution to help keep Army Corps recreation sites open across the country. In addition, I also want to highlight the report language expressing the committee's concern about the lake park closures and encouraging the Army Corps to continue working with local partners to maintain park leases and expedite the lease approval process.
▶ 9:16:05And with that, I thank the chairman for his work and I thank the the full committee chairman as well. And I yield Thank the gentleman. The gentle lady from Ohio, Miss Captor, is recognized for remarks on the amendment. Thank you. Uh, Mr. Chairman, I have to sadly rise in opposition to the amendment.
▶ 9:16:25It modifies the Water Resource Development Act of 1992 to make certain changes, as the gentleman has explained, to the collection and utilization of fees collected at core of engineers recreation sites. Now this matter is an authorizing issue and I would strongly urge the gentleman uh to address it to the authorizing committee specifically in the next water resource development act.
▶ 9:16:53I think you'd be more successful uh going forward because you likely get objection on the floor. So at this time I cannot support the amendment but I understand what you're trying to do and talk to the word of folks uh and hopefully they'll be able to help. Thank you and I yield back. Thank gentle lady. Chairman Fleshman is recognized to address the amendment. Uh I thank you Mr. Chairman. Uh I rise in support of the gentleman's amendment.
▶ 9:17:19I share my colleagues views on the importance of recreation access at core projects. I'm aware of the acute issues facing Lake Laneir in his home state. The amendment would improve how recreation fees can be used to enhance core recreation areas when non-federal entities assume their management. I understand the authorization committee is not objecting to this and I I want to commend the gentleman um earlier today.
▶ 9:17:46Um, I had some concerns as did the ranking member uh about this being an authorization issue, but we checked with the authorizers and the authorizers articulated to several members on this committee that they were okay with this. So, in in that regard, that removed any concerns I had. And with that, um, I will support be supporting the gentleman's amendment and I yield back. Thank the gentleman.
▶ 9:18:14Are there any other members wishing to address the amendment? The gentle lady from Minnesota is recognized to address the amendment. I have a I have a couple of questions. One one is for the um subcommittee chair. When you said the authorizers didn't have any objections, did you mean authorizers from both sides of the Uh to my knowledge only the the the re outreach was to only the the Republican side to my knowledge. Uh I was not privy to all of those negotiations.
▶ 9:18:44Uh but I I do not know uh of any democratic authorization support. If there is if there was some uh u I'm I'm open to anybody saying that, but this was an outreach to the to to the uh and I understand when time's short, you reach out to people you can get a hold of quickest faster. So, but I just wanted to to know for a fact that there hasn't been an opportunity yet. So, there might be more discussion as uh ranking member Captor said as we move to the floor. the fees.
▶ 9:19:13Uh, and I don't know Army Corps fees. I'm not going to stand up here and be an expert on it, but um, I serve on the interior committee, so fish and wildlife and national park. So, the fees that we have, and I'm just trying to understand this better so I make a fully informed decision. Yay or nay. The fees that we gather at uh, for example, for Yellowstone or or things like that, stay back in the park for a reason. They stay in the park because they're heavily used parks.
▶ 9:19:42They stay in the parks because there's friends of groups that raise matching money to put in whether it's a changing table, better boardwalks, more uh ADA accessibility, things that stay in the park that takes some of the pressure off the park that the park service hasn't had the money to do So, I don't know if that functions that way with the Army Corps or not.
▶ 9:20:08Um, and because I I don't know for a fact, I don't want to inadvertently start a slippery slope for something that um is something that I've worked on a lot with with other committee members. The other thing when uh the other thing that that came to mind is your county gets payable uh payment in lie of taxes for having Army Corps So in in the interior bill and it shouldn't be in the interior bill we fund payment
▶ 9:20:38in lee of taxes. It used to be something that was done in the ways and means committee and the ways and means committee decided you know the interior committee can just pay all the all the taxes you know for public land. So it's really put a huge dent in what we can do for for parks for fish and wildlife and a whole lot of other things in the entire interior bill. So your local government and I here again I'm not being an expert. I'm just trying to understand this better.
▶ 9:21:06Your local government could be receiving benefits from having the payment in lie of taxes for this army corps property. Therefore they could take and capture some of that money to use back to support their constituents. If they choose not to do that that's that's their choice having served in local government. I don't think we know at least I don't know the answer for that clearly one way or the other. So uh Mr. Mr. uh chair and to and to Mr.
▶ 9:21:34Clyde, at this point, until I can have more of my my questions answered, at this time, I am unfortunately, and I do mean this sincerely, unable to support your amendment and look forward to learning more about this as it goes to the floor because this could start setting a precedent that could affect uh not only Army Corps projects around uh the country, but uh US Forest Service fees, uh park fees, and and everything else. And I know your intention is to take care of a very important specific local problem.
▶ 9:22:04So at this time, Mr. Chair, I I yield back and I won't be able to support the amendment. Thank gentle lady. Uh are there other members wishing to address the Seeing none, the gentleman is recognized for one minute to close. Thank you very much.
▶ 9:22:23Um, these are parks that are leased to local uh municipalities for a dollar a year by the Army Corps and they're authorized to collect fees and the fees stay within the parks that they have. So, if they have two or three parks that they've leased, the fees must stay within those particular parks. But this amendment allows them to transfer or to use the fees from one park that might have a surplus on another park that has a deficit. That's basically what it is.
▶ 9:22:52The Army Corps actually asked that we be allowed to do this or or that they be allowed to do it rather. Uh so this was a request from the Army Corps. It was also a request from the municipality as well. So I think this is a win-win for both. And with that, I encourage a yes vote and I yield back. Thank the gentleman. The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Georgia. All those in favor say I. All those opposed say no. No.
▶ 9:23:22The opinion of the chair, the eyes have and the amendment is adopted. Chair recognizes distinguished gentle lady from Ohio, Miss Captor, for an An amendment at the desk, Mr. Chairman. Number two, number three. It's number one, but it's number three on the list. Okay.
▶ 9:23:50Would the gentle lady like it I ask unanimous consent that without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentle lady's recognized for remarks on her amendment. All right, Mr.
▶ 9:24:03Chairman, uh the amendment that I'm offering uh would prohibit the arbitrary cancellation of federal awards and reinstate those already terminated under the Department of Energy's overly broad unjustified review process. I'm guessing largely at the instigation of OM.
▶ 9:24:27What it would do is prevent the agencies funded by this act from terminating federal awards purely on the basis, and I quote, and this was used by the Department of Energy, if an award no longer affectuates the program's goals or agency priorities. And the amendment also reinstates any federal award that was terminated after September 30th, 2024 for no longer effectuating the program goals or agency priorities.
▶ 9:24:58Uh the reason for doing this is these awards from the Department of Energy were authorized by Congress. The funds were appropriated. Then the Department of Energy approved the awards. They announced the awards and signed contracts with the but under the new administration, likely at the direction of the Office of Management and Budget, all those contracts have been revoked.
▶ 9:25:28Now, this is a regular order committee. And I think if President Trump knew that his OM was actually hurting project awards that were in places he carried and states he carried. I don't think he'd like it very much. Uh this amendment is not a procedural nicity.
▶ 9:25:51It's a matter of real consequence for communities and American families and American global competitiveness under the guise and I'm using the language quote realigning awards with agency priorities uh and at the direction of OM the Department of Energy has effectively frozen $77 billion dollar of bipartisan infrastructure law and inflation reduction act funding delaying the investments
▶ 9:26:21in these projects all over the country. Projects that were already authorized, already had appropriated funds announced, already had signed the and then all of a sudden revoked them. That's really not the way the law in this country works.
▶ 9:26:40The Department of Energy has terminated, according to the data I have, 24 projects totaling over $3.7 billion dollar, undermining investments in clean energy technologies that reduce energy bills for business and for consumers and create good paying jobs. Each of you before you has the list of canceled and threatened projects in your area. Please take a look.
▶ 9:27:08The Constitution authorizes article one to be the Congress and we follow the law and we pass the laws. It then goes to the executive. That's article two. And then they made a decision to turn back to turn uh over and not pull money back that had already been awarded. These delays and uh hand our technological edge and leadership in the global clean energy race over to communist China.
▶ 9:27:39And so while we doawle and stall projects uh in an unlawful way, China continues to build advanced manufacturing facilities, scale up electric technologies, and dominate dominate solar panel exports rather than America being the best at future solar production. Think about this. The president is forced to put tariffs on imported goods rather than us being able to move these companies forward.
▶ 9:28:08uh in our nation. Every week of because of revoking these awards chips away at US innovation, seeding market share and jobs that will uh not be reshored. These canceled contracts hit home. If you look at your paper that's in front of you, think about what that does to your state, to your region.
▶ 9:28:35uh a very large company across a food manufacturing uh company across our uh country had 10 contracts revoked and believe me you would know the name I don't want to get him in any trouble so I don't want to say it here but um to revoke what was legally went through the authorizing committees the appropriation committees passed the full congress went to the department of energy was selected was awarded,
▶ 9:29:05everything was signed and announced and then to revoke them. There's something fundamentally wrong with that process. In the near term, these investments do create jobs and jobs with living wages, jobs with benefits that strengthen each of your districts and states. And in the long term, these investments make American manufacturing efficient, increase energy security, and drive down consumer costs. And I think that's something that the president and all of us regardless of party agree on.
▶ 9:29:36Um the it seems to me making America great is lessened the ability to do that is lessened by the cancellation of these. So um I just wanted to uh bring that to your attention and to ask for your uh support of this amendment. Um Mr.
▶ 9:29:57chairman, the um companies, nonprofits, and state and local governments that enter into these agreements with the federal government have always had full faith in the government of the United States, and so should we. I ask for your support and yield back. Thank the gentle lady. Mr. Flashman is recognized to address the amendment. I thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentle lady for her amendment. I m I must respectfully rise in strong opposition to this amendment.
▶ 9:30:27Uh to my colleagues, this amendment would handcuff the Department of Energy from reviewing federal funding decisions made during the Biden administration. The Trump administration is working to ensure that they are good stewards of the taxpayer funds and acting in the public interest. We can all support a process which ensures our government agencies are operating efficiently and looking to cut waste wherever it can be found.
▶ 9:30:54We should be careful not to take away any tools which allow the department to do just that. In that regard, I respectfully oppose the amendment, urge my colleagues the same, and yield back. Thank you. I thank the gentleman. Uh are there other members wishing to address the Seeing none, the gentle Oh, excuse me. Gentleman from Maryland is recognized to address the amendment. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 9:31:23On February 14th of this year, Valentine's Day, uh, thousands of employees at the Department of Energy got a Valentine. It said this quote the department the department of energy finds that your further employment would not be in the public interest.
▶ 9:31:46Now the 14th was 24 days into this What I have said about Doge over and over again is they knew how to cut. They simply had no idea of the consequences of those cuts. Legally, we saw that uh pretty soon because the court said you can't do this. Now, the courts have reversed it somewhat.
▶ 9:32:12Supreme Court has indicated they can go ahead with some of the uh removals of employees. I don't call them If they were fired, maybe they could have uh gotten workman's comp. What the gentle ladies amendment does deals with what frankly I was talking about earlier. The Congress, House, and Senate passed a bill.
▶ 9:32:41Uh it was a bipartisan bill in the House, not by much, more bipartisan bill in the Senate, uh but not a majority of the But we had been talking about investments under the Trump administration for four years of investment in infrastructure.
▶ 9:33:03We had infrastructure months, we had infrastructure weeks, we had infrastructure days, but we had no Now, what the general lady is talking about is contracts for private sector people for the most part.
▶ 9:33:24and they in good faith made a contract with the federal government to accomplish some objective that the Congress had decided was important. And now, frankly, Mr. Fleman frankly spoke to what I'm concerned Having done all that, the Congress did not resend these contracts.
▶ 9:33:54The Congress didn't decide that these contracts weren't what was in the best interest of America. and his leader decided or some 19year-old kid decided uh they had made a number that they talked about. They had to get to a number.
▶ 9:34:18That's what they were looking And they got to numbers in my view, my gut tells me, without understanding the ramifications of their acts. And not only uh I've got a lot of federal employees and that note they got, the Department of Energy finds that your further employment would not be in the public interest.
▶ 9:34:44Frankly, that's what we say every election year about our opponents. I get that. And that's the business we're in. Uh but the employees didn't say their job was not necessary. They didn't say the people were not in the public interest. Uh Mr.
▶ 9:35:06vote has done everything in his power to denigrate f federal employees and to undermine the morale of federal and also undermine the morale of people who have doing done business with the federal government doing things that the government said we wanted done which is why they let the contracts and then not the Congress comes along and says no removes the employees
▶ 9:35:36removes the private sector businesses and simply says we're no longer going with you. That's not right. It's not smart. And China is exalting in our actions. We are disinfect disinvesting in America and we're doing it in almost every one of our bills.
▶ 9:36:04and America will not be great by continuing to disinvest. Vote for this amendment. I yield back. Thank the gentleman. Are there other members wishing to comment on the Gentleman from Indiana is recognized to comment on the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the amendment.
▶ 9:36:29As ranking member Captor mentioned, uh, US businesses have have canceled 15 billion investments in energy projects as the, uh, uncertainty in the funding of bad policy. Uh, within my district, there was a hydrogen hub that was through the bipartisan infrastructure bill. There were 12,000 construction jobs uh that were uh that were eliminated based on uh the elimination of the tax credits and the elimination of this position.
▶ 9:36:56Uh I rise in support of this through the department of energy because at the end of all these cuts are livelihoods of individuals who are depending upon that. They were building trades that were building up apprenticeship programs. The steel mills ran US steel now nippon steel and Cleveland cliff both experimented with hydrogen in order to create a cleaner steel so that there would be a better globally competitive steel out in the market which would have longevity for the steel workers.
▶ 9:37:22So these investments have a huge ecosystem along with all the building trades that work in the steel mills and that would have been created here. So with that I uh support this amendment and one of the things that always stuck with me is early on in uh politico which is not the bible but there was a report of uh hydrogen hubs that were kept that were in the red states and hydrogen cub hubs that were cut that were in the blue states. Ultimately, they were all cut.
▶ 9:37:51But what I'm saying is these creation of jobs are in a bipartisan way. And if we can work together to make sure that we understand the ecosystem of these cuts and what it means to people's livelihoods, with that, I yield back. Thank the gentleman. Are there other members wishing to address? Gentleman from Missouri is recognized for comments on the amendment. Mr. Chair, I'll be brief. I want to thank uh Miss Captor for bringing this information our staff. That's quite thorough. I appreciate this.
▶ 9:38:20I I think if anything it proves is that the uh administration's attempts at these cuts is anything but partisan. When you look at the list, there are four cuts to Republican projects uh affecting our districts and uh four for the Democrats. And in fact, the damage is more so to the Republican uh side of the ledger. uh proving that that these attempts at at cutting waste, abuse, and fraud is is where this is targeted.
▶ 9:38:50It is a singular objective and that is to cut waste, abuse, and fraud in this. And so I will not be able to support this amendment, but I appreciate your confirmation that this is not a partisan attempt by this administration. Thank you, and I yield Thank the gentleman. Are there other members wishing to address the If not, the gentle lady is recognized for one minute to close.
▶ 9:39:19Again, I ask my colleagues to uh support the amendment. Um it's not waste, abuse, and fraud. They're signed contracts uh and they were reviewed. They were they passed regular order here. And if those companies that were uh promised uh that they would have this contract have been cut off, it means our people can't trust the government.
▶ 9:39:44And when they have a signed valid contract, uh they're going to begin wondering about the federal government's very trustworthiness. And in this case, these projects were going to keep American manufacturing on the cutting edge, lower energy prices, and protect our jobs. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment so that when the federal government signs a contract that it has obligated, it keeps its promise. It keeps its promise and this is exactly the reverse of that.
▶ 9:40:13uh what a terrible terrible precedent uh this sets for our nation and I think the businesses that are out there across our country who've been the victims of this are really reeling from it and they operated in good faith and they should never have been treated this way whether they were in Republican districts or or Democratic districts. So I ask my uh colleagues to support the amendment and I yield back. Thank the gentle lady. The questions now on the amendment amendment offered by the gentle lady from Ohio.
▶ 9:40:43All those in favor say I. All those opposed say no. Opinion. The chair. The nose have it. Uh gentle ladies requested a roll call. Sufficient number of hands having been raised. The clerk will call the role. Mr. Adhalt. Mr. Adhalt. No. Mr. Aguilar. Mr. Aguilar. I. Mr. Alford. Mr. Alford. No, Mr. Amday. Mr. Ammedday. No, Mrs. Bice. Mrs. Bice. No, Mr. Bishop.
▶ 9:41:14Mr. Bishop. I Mr. Calvert. Mr. Calvert. No, Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter. No, Mr. Case. Mr. Casease. I Mr. Sisammani. Mr. Sisammani. No. Mr. Klene. Mr. Cloud. Mr. Cloud. No. Mr. Klyber. Mr. Klyber. I. Mr. Clyde. Mr. Clyde. No. Mr. Cole. No. Mr. Cole. No. Mr. Quayar, Miss Dean, Miss Dean I. Mr.
▶ 9:41:43Deloro, Mr. Diaz Bolard, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Edwards. No, Mr. Elzie. Mr. Ellie, no. Miss Escobar. Miss Escobar. I Mr. Espayott. Mr. Espayott. I Mr. Fleshman. Mr. Fleshman. Uh, Mr. Fleshman, no. Miss Frankle. Mr. Franklin. Mr. Franklin. No. Mr. Gonzalez. Mr. Gonzalez. No. Mr.
▶ 9:42:13Guest. Mr. Guest. No. Mr. Harter. Mr. Harter. I. Dr. Harris. Dr. Harris. No. Mrs. Henson. Mrs. Henson. No. Mr. Mr. Hoyer. I. Mr. Ivy. Mr. Ivy. I. Mr. Joyce. Miss Captor. Hi. Miss Captor. I Mr. Loa. Mr. Loa. No. Miss Lee. Miss Lee.
▶ 9:42:40I Miss Mr. Levan. Hi. Mr. Lean. I Miss Mallaloy. Miss Mallaloy. No. Miss McCullum. Miss Ming. Miss Ming. I. Mr. Molinar. Mr. Molinar. No. Mr. Moore. Mr. Moore. No, Mr. Morelli. Mr. Morelli. I Mr. Murvan. Mr. Mvan. I Mr. New House.
▶ 9:43:12Mr. New House. No. Miss Perez. Miss Perez. I Miss Pingri. Miss Pingri. I Mr. Pokean. Mr. Pokean. I Mr. Quigley. Mr. Quigley. I. Mr. Russianthaler. Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers. No. Mr. Rutherford. Mr. Rutherford. No. Mr. Simpson. Mr. Simpson. No. Mr. Strong. Mr. Strong. No. Mrs. Torres. Mrs. Torres. I Miss Underwood. Miss Underwood. I Mr. Valado.
▶ 9:43:44Mr. Valado. No. Miss Wasserman Schultz. Miss Wasserman Schultz. I Mrs. Watson Coleman. Mrs. Watson Coleman. I. Mr. Wac. Mr. WAC. No. Mr. Zinci. I love Mr. Zinci. No. uh are there any members wishing to vote or to change their vote? Gentle lady from Louisiana. Miss Lelo, no. Gentleman from Ohio. Mr.
▶ 9:44:14Joyce, no. Gentleman from Virginia. Mr. Klene. No. Gentle lady from Minnesota. Miss McCullum. I gentleman from Texas. Mr. Quer I Are there other Oh, gentle lady from Miss Frankle I. Are there other members wishing to vote or change their vote?
▶ 9:44:43Seeing none, the clerk will tally.
▶ 9:45:26on this vote. The eyes are 27, the nose are 33. The amendment is not adopted. The gentleman from West Virginia, Mr. Moore, is recognized for an amendment. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a amendment at the desk and I ask that the for unanimous consent for the reading be dispensed with.
▶ 9:45:53Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentleman's recognized for remarks on his amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, I have an amendment here that restores funding to the regional commissions that invest in my constituents and actually many of your constituents, uh, the members represented here in this room. These federal state partnerships provide much needed resources for communities across the nation.
▶ 9:46:21Obviously, my home is in Appalachia and Appalachia is home to some of the hardest working and most faithful people, I think, in the whole country. And Appalachia spans 13 states. My state is actually the only one that's encompassed by it in totality. And there's 26 million Americans living there. And obviously Appalachins, we face a lot of challenges. Um that stems from geography, the decline of the coal industry, impact of globalization, substance abuse crisis, and many other things.
▶ 9:46:51But we have um more Appalachins actually living in poverty than anywhere else in the country. Unfortunately, wages grow slower there than they do anywhere else. The most recent data shows that deaths of despair are 37% higher in Appalachia than in the rest of the country, which is sad to say. The public water systems with the highest rates of clean drinking water issues are actually Appalachin counties.
▶ 9:47:22And so how do I know this? Well, interesting you should ask. The Appalachin Regional Commission established in the 1960s by President Lyndon Baines Johnson compiles annual comprehensive statistical reports that show these issues to the wider world, which is hugely helpful. And the Appalachin Regional Commission doesn't just report on those concerns, though. They they are active in solving the problem.
▶ 9:47:50Each year, the ARC invests in critical priorities across the Appalachin region. These programs align with President Trump's agenda to develop rural America, combat addiction, develop the workforce, and improve infrastructure. In West Virginia, ARC invested $1.8 8 million to eliminate straight pipe sewage disposal into the Tug River in Mcdow County, West Virginia.
▶ 9:48:15This investment actually unlocked new tourism and development opportunities, protected the local drinking water, and made valuable flat land usable, which we don't have a lot of flat land in West Virginia. uh ARC funded a partnership also with man health to get individuals in recovery back into the workforce to break the cycle of addiction. These are just a few examples of the way ARC addresses urgent community needs.
▶ 9:48:44Failing to restore these funds will leave these Americans and their communities behind. ARC also invests oh yeah Arc also invests in the future of Appalachia. So this is a interesting statistic. Less than a year ago, Mountain West Community and Technical College launched a training program with Marshall Advanced Manufacturing Center with ARC funds.
▶ 9:49:10Five students who obtained the certification in systems maintenance, automation, robotics technology have gone on to actually work for Fortune 100 companies at home in West Virginia. So, I could go on and on, but in 2024 alone, ARC funded 583 projects that leverage $5 billion in private capital across the region.
▶ 9:49:32My amendment recognizes these things and the amendment is paid for by cutting uh but not zeroing out um not zeroing out pardon me um research dollars for solar panels.
▶ 9:49:48Uh these regional commissions are certainly pivotal and vital technology resources across the country and just to name a few the Appalachin Regional Commission, Delta Regional Authority, Denali Commission, Northern Border Regional Commission, Southeast Crescent Regional Commission, Southwest West Border Regional Commission, the Great Lakes Authority.
▶ 9:50:11And so it takes from these these research dollars for solar panels from $115 million down to $35 million. That's the pay for here. Just want to point out though something really important. In President Trump's F uh FY26 budget request, this research was actually completely zeroed out. And so this does keep money in there for the research of solar panels.
▶ 9:50:42And I think the question that we need to ask ourselves is one of prioritization. Do we want to continue these great public private partnerships and training programs that we have such as the Appalachin Regional Commission that has done great work since his creation by President Johnson or do we want to do research on solar panels? I to me I think this makes a lot more sense. Yes, sir. you. Yes, sir.
▶ 9:51:06Now, there are several regional commissions including national Does your amendment increase funding for them as well as the Appalachian? It does. It actually brings back funding for all of them to the FY25 level. Not just the Appalachin Regional Commission.
▶ 9:51:28Obviously, I'm just talking about mine, but all the commissions would be brought back to the FY25 funding levels with the offset obviously coming from this solar panel research dollars uh that I mentioned previously. Thank you. Yes, sir. And I yield back. Thank the gentleman. The gentle lady from Ohio is recognized to address the Yes. Uh thank you very much, Mr.
▶ 9:51:56Chairman and u uh Congressman, I uh rise in reluctant opposition to your amendment because I kind of like a lot of its goals. I don't really like the pay for and um I come from a part of America where like your region, we were hit hard by job outsourcing, but one of our foundational industries has been the United States glass industry.
▶ 9:52:24and we've been one of the innovators to create something new that never existed before. And I could speak to you for five hours about it. But um it's the most competitive solar company in the United States of America as we try to compete against the Chinese and markets that are closed and manipulated and everything else. And I'm just so proud of the people that did it. I wish I could we could have dinner some nights and we could just talk about the great things people in our district do.
▶ 9:52:49Um I would like to not throw this away or you know sideline it but if you could consider a different pay for I am very much for restoring the regional commissions to their uh funded level uh because they have been cut and I don't agree with that but I just think this is a very harsh cut to an industry that truly is in a race with the Chinese and um I don't want to harm it in any way.
▶ 9:53:19So that's the my reluctance there. Uh I support the important work of the regional commissions and uh I think a 25% cut was really unfair uh in the original bill. Um uh but it's only the offset that I disagree with and perhaps you might consider.
▶ 9:53:37I don't know that you would, but as we move to the floor, perhaps if we could work with the leadership of the uh full committee and uh members here, maybe we could I mean, if every account could take a very small nick and we could restore the commissions and if we could work together on that, I think it would be very constructive uh and something that could be supported on a bipartisan basis. So, I don't know how you feel about that.
▶ 9:54:04Um but I offer you the thought and um uh we always have the opportunity of amending on the floor obviously. So um at the moment I'm uh I don't want to totally object and I don't want to put the chairman of the subcommittee in a difficult position but I think we could possibly reach agreement on this.
▶ 9:54:34Is gentle lady yielding or asking a Yes, I am. Sorry. Yeah. No, I'm happy to discuss it and and look, I've I've read through all this.
▶ 9:54:49This is to me the pay for that kind of made the most sense to me and I certainly understand your district's equities and interests and solar panel industry and there's a lot of folks that have that but to me this made the most sense and you know just plainly put that's the only way I can say it. A lot of solar panels are made in China.
▶ 9:55:09And to me, I think this is a very pro-American, pro-worker thing to do is to keep things like the Appalachin Regional Commission that are doing a lot of great training programs and some of the things in the Delta. But I'm happy to discuss it further though. And I know your district's not very different than mine and a lot of the things that we've been affected by and why these commissions are so important, but to me, this was the the cut that made the most sense. And it's not zeroing it out, which is what the president had asked for.
▶ 9:55:39It's still keeping $35 million in there for research. Uh chair would have it's really up to you. You can withdraw the amendment and continue the discussion. Uh you could even do it and we could flip it to the end of the amendments tonight. Uh if you wanted to do that or we can just proceed. But under anyway, you would you would certainly have the opportunity to continue to work together and submit amendment before this went to the floor. So just it's kind that would be appreciated and very generous, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 9:56:09That would give Chairman Fleshman and myself a chance to talk also uh and uh if he's willing. I mean, I'm willing to participate. Yeah, I'm I'm happy to bring this back up, withdraw right now and then maybe move it to the foot of the agenda. However, here are your options. Uh you can withdraw now. If you find a solution, you can bring it up by the end of the amendment process tonight. That would be fine.
▶ 9:56:40Uh or if you decide after you discuss you need more time and you want to propose an amendment to the full legislation at a later point, you can do that or we can vote on I mean just let us know in a timely fashion and we'll proceed. But so feel free to withdraw but feel free to reintroduce it later if you find an agreement or even if you don't you want to go ahead or Well, um could I ask the chairman of subcommittee to yield? You certainly may actually. Oh, sorry. It's your cl it's your time. Well, I'm happy to yield to my chair.
▶ 9:57:10Thank you. First of all, I commend the gentleman for his uh amendment. Uh and I know many on our side uh feel very strong about this. I actually received uh from the Democratic um administration, the ARC award for my support of the Appalachian Regional Council. Uh my concern candidly is it's cutting solar. Okay. and uh eerie has been cut already.
▶ 9:57:39It is very important uh to a lot of people on both sides of the aisle including myself. Um I would agree to continue to work with everybody towards this goal. The problem is finding a suitable offset. U the gentleman was very thoughtful in his process to try to find uh an offset and I understand how important this is. Uh I I don't want to be disingenuous.
▶ 9:58:05I will be more than glad to continue to work with you all as we move towards the floor in our negotiations with the Senate, but I just don't know if there is a suitable offset that we could find at this time. We have looked, we've tried to do that. So I I don't want to bait you into something that we might not be able to deliver on in terms of not finding an offset.
▶ 9:58:26I just think uh I'm stuck between two friends and two issues and and EERE has just already taken so much uh in terms of cuts already. Um, so, uh, and I will say this, uh, to, uh, our credit in crafting this bill, we restored funding.
▶ 9:58:46The, the administration across the board, respectfully to them, we're at zero for, uh, all of the regional um, um, uh, uh, commissions, and we've actually restored that to keep them alive. U,, but, uh, that's that's kind of where we are. So, I want I want to be abundantly honest with both of you all before you make a decision. Will I continue to talk with you? Yes, I will. Will I continue to work with you? Uh, absolutely. Um, and with our friends in the Senate.
▶ 9:59:15But, uh, we have kept it alive in this bill. So, it is not zeroed out in this bill. 25% cuts across the board. But, it's just the pay for uh that I think is not palatable to a lot on our side and and probably just about everybody on your S you're back. Well, gentle lady from Ohio controls the time. In the end, it's up to the gentleman as to whether or not he wants to withdraw.
▶ 9:59:45So, I will restore the time to gentle lady for her remarks. She's actually gone a little long, but I think this is productive and fair in the interest of the discussion. So, I'll return the time to the gentle lady from Ohio for whatever remarks she cares to make. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll wait for the gentleman's decision and uh am prepared to negotiate and uh by the end of the uh evening. Gentle lady yield.
▶ 10:00:15Be pleased to yield to you. Um so, what I'll what I've decided here is why don't we withdraw and work on this together and try to come up to us with a solution. And so I will withdraw my amendment and then try to come up with a solution where we can find a pay for in this that'll work for everybody. I I thank you very much for that and I would also say if people have ideas, please give them to us so we can be successful with this initiative. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 10:00:44I thank the gentle lady and the amendment is withdrawn. Uh, the gentle lady from Ohio, Miss Captor, is recognized for the purposes of an amendment.
▶ 10:01:16Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk number two and I ask unanimous consent that the reading be dispensed with. Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentle lady is recognized for remarks on her amendment. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer this amendment number two, the protecting energy tax credits amendment. uh at a time when American families are already stretched thin by rising costs at the grocery store for housing and at the pump.
▶ 10:01:45But the Republicans billionaire bonanza bill recklessly repealed the clean energy incentives that are proven to lower household energy bills, strengthen our grid, and create good paying jobs across this nation. Let's be clear, termination of these credits seeds American innovation and manufacturing leadership to foreign adversaries like communist China. China installed more wind and solar capacity just last year than has almost ever been built by the rest of the world combined.
▶ 10:02:15The inflation reduction act credits for wind, solar, hydrogen, energy efficiency and more are not giveaways. They leverage every taxpayer dollar into as much as $7 of economic activity. For example, the case of clean hydrogen projects, which Congress vaugh has also referenced today. By repealing these incentives, the billionaire bonanza bill guarantees that our global competitors will seize the initiative while American factories sit idle.
▶ 10:02:44We are giving jobs of the future away at the expense of the generations to come. Second, realize Americans face real costs. Repealing these credits would drive up average household energy expenditures by at least $110 a year starting in 2026 and over $400 a year by 2035. In the Midwest, families already pay some of the highest electricity bills.
▶ 10:03:13These cuts would raise prices for American families by up to 12%, the most in the nation, beginning next year. In northwest Ohio, clean energy projects supported by these tax credits have stimulated over $10 billion in investments in the state, generating more than 14,300 new well-paying jobs. And that is all threatened now. Third, this bill would devastate our rural communities and red states disproportionately.
▶ 10:03:44Since the Inflation Reduction Act's passage, three quarters of clean energy investments have been slated for districts held by the party I'm not a member of. Yet, Republican leadership snatched away these credits just as these projects gear up, threatening an estimated 1.75 million construction jobs and over three billion work hours, which translates to 148 billion in lost annual wages and benefits.
▶ 10:04:14That's a wow by any measure. Fourth, we must be mindful that these credits were not enacted in a vacuum. After decades of flat demand for electricity, data centers and AI are driving up the need and price of electricity, wind and solar were projected to supply more than half of our new power needs, avoiding blackouts and keeping energy prices in check.
▶ 10:04:36To um remove these incentives now is to turn our backs on every American who wants cheaper electricity and a cleaner, more secure energy future. Mr. Chair, this amendment does not dictate the final compromise on tax credits. It simply freezes the previous status quo, protecting families, safeguarding jobs, and preserving America's America's competitive edge while Congress works toward a truly bipartisan solution. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on my amendment.
▶ 10:05:06Number two, to stand with workers and families and to ensure that America remains the world leader in the clean energy uh revolution. I yield I reserve my time. I thank the Excuse me. I thank the gentle lady. Gentleman from Tennessee. Mr. Flashman's recognized to respond to the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 10:05:33Um, I respectfully rise in strong opposition to the gentle lady's uh amendment. Um, this amendment would repeal certain provisions from the one big beautiful bill act related to renewable energy tax credits. Um, this bill is now the law. Um, the appropriations committee respectfully is not the appropriate venue to relitigate these tax provisions which were enacted into law recently.
▶ 10:06:03So with that, I respectfully and strongly oppose the amendment, urge my colleagues to do the same and yield back. Thank the gentleman. Gentle lady from Florida is recognized to address the Mr. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong support of ranking member Captor's amendment, which would undo the Republicans bonanza for billionaires that you all passed a few weeks ago, including the roll back of clean energy tax credits that were enacted under the inflation reduction act.
▶ 10:06:32Let's be clear about what's at stake here. These clean energy tax credits are among the most consequential climate and economic investments this Congress has ever made. They are already driving billions of dollars into private investment into American communities. They are already creating good b good paying union jobs and they are already helping lower energy costs for working families. Remember that thing that Donald Trump said he was going to do? Lower costs, make life more affordable. Yeah.
▶ 10:07:00Well, Democrats actually did it. Yet, Republicans have chosen to attack this success, not because it's bad policy, but because it doesn't fit their quote political narrative. This repeal effort is nothing more than a handout to the wealthiest corporations and the fossil fuel industry at the expense of everyone else. It's the same playbook we've seen over and over again. Protect profits at the top and leave working families to pick up the tab.
▶ 10:07:24These tax credits are already delivering real results, making it easier and cheaper for families to install solar panels, purchase energy efficient appliances, and drive electric vehicles. They are helping manufacturers open new plants, hire more workers, and compete in the clean energy economy of the future. Why would we take that progress and throw it away? Repealing these these credits would kill jobs, raise energy costs, and seed our competitive edge to countries like China.
▶ 10:07:53It would discourage investment in American communities, particularly in rural and industrial regions that have long been left behind. We should be doubling down on these incentives, not gutting them. Clean energy isn't just about protecting the planet. It's about building prosperity here at home. It's about making sure the benefits of this transition are felt in every zip code, not just on Wall Street. The ranking members amendment ensures we stay on the right path by protecting the clean energy tax credits that are lowering costs, creating jobs, and securing America's energy future.
▶ 10:08:23And I urge all of my colleagues to support this common sense proworker progrowth amendment. And I thank the gentle lady for offering it, and I yield back. I thank the gentle lady. The gentleman from Michigan, Mr. Molinar, is recognized to address the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I respectfully rise in opposition to this amendment. Uh, Mr.
▶ 10:08:45Chairman, the so-called inflation reduction act created 45x the advanced manufacturing production tax credit that gave away billions of dollars and directly contributed to companies in China.
▶ 10:09:02In my district, a battery component manufacturer known as Goan indicated it is now exploring how it can utilize these tax credits while at the same time is suing the local community. You see, Goan is closely affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party. It's a self-described, wholly owned and controlled subsidiary of its chinabased company, Goan High-Tech.
▶ 10:09:30According to its own foreign agents registry act registration act filing goan is subsidized by the Chinese As the chairman of the house select committee on the CCP my team and I uncovered goan's ties to the CCP are even more concerning than initially Additionally goan's supply chain is reliant on the forced labor of weaguer Muslims in the jan province.
▶ 10:09:59Under no circumstances should companies beholden to our adversaries like Goan qualify for tax credits paid for by the American people. The one big beautiful bill included my do no go policy which stopped Chinese companies and their from receiving the 45x credit. This amendment seeks to strip away these crucial protections from the law.
▶ 10:10:27So I encourage strongly my colleagues to oppose this amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back. I thank the gentleman. Gentle lady from Maine, Miss Pengri, recognized to address the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I speak in strong support of this amendment and I thank the ranking member for submitting it. As you all know, I love to describe how this would benefit my home state of Maine.
▶ 10:10:52And you may recall, I've already mentioned that we have the oldest state, the oldest housing stock in the nation. We have the oldest people in the nation. Uh we are the most oil dependent state in the nation with about 95% of our homes previously relying on heating oil. We don't have a big presence of natural And we're also about 38th in capita per capita income.
▶ 10:11:19So you can imagine in a cold state where we're dependent on oil, people are worried deeply about what it costs to heat their homes. And with some potential of losing lie heat benefits, they're even more worried. Now, this has been a tremendous benefit to our state. Our state a few years ago with the uh most recent governor decided that we would really invest in renewable energy partly because we wanted to have a vigorous climate change agenda.
▶ 10:11:46But even if you don't believe in climate change or you don't think that was such a good idea, you probably could understand how important this was to us to lower costs by one estimate. So my governor proposed a system where we would um encourage people to put heat pumps in their house and go with electric heat. Uh we had one goal of getting a thousand 100,000 heat pumps by 2025. Uh we breeze through that very quickly. Then we have another goal of getting 175,000 by 2027.
▶ 10:12:17By one estimate, it costs about $2,800 to run a heat pump compared to 400 4,460 for a fossil fuel-based furnace. So, you can see that's a considerable savings in our state. We've also had an department of energy efficiency grant to put heat pumps in mobile homes. We have a lot of mobile and manufactured homes. They're a good um affordable housing solution in our state, but they're often not easy to heat. They're not often not very energy efficient.
▶ 10:12:46Uh we've been able to do that in 675 houses. And it has the added benefit that since most homes in Maine never had air conditioning, but as you can imagine, it's getting warmer every year. It also allows for cooling because heat pumps give you heating and cooling. My district also has 40 solar companies, including manufacturers, installers, and developers, and 700 people who work in solar related jobs in our state. And because of these credits, there's been a boom in installing them.
▶ 10:13:14The estimate is that you save about $1,700 a year by installing the solar panels with a credit. So, if you can put solar panels on your roof and have a heat pump, you've saved a tremendous amount of money because you have renewable energy now paying for your electric heat. This reduction will hurt a lot of these businesses and it will hurt a lot of people's ability to afford to do this.
▶ 10:13:38I cannot for the life of me understand why Republicans who believe in lowering costs, who believe in helping people out, who are struggling to get by, would want to eliminate these funds, particularly at this moment in time. And my state is a living example of how many people um including people who live in mobile homes who have benefited from this tremendously. Now, I've been very fortunate to have all of these things in my house and I did this before these credits were available.
▶ 10:14:04So, I don't think you I want you to know that I got any kind of benefit from the government thing, but I was building a new house and I was able to install renewable energy and the most energyefficient techniques in my own home and I can't tell you what a great cost savings it's been and what a wonderful thing it is.
▶ 10:14:20So, for all of you who somehow get all, I don't know, bent out of shape about this or think it's a bad idea or wouldn't think you ever want to do it, after you come and take a ride on my fairy, I encourage you to come and visit my home and I will show you the solar panels on the roof, the batteries in the basement, and the incredible all-electric system in my house, as well as the external charger where I plug in my VW ID4. So, I don't have to go to the gas station anymore.
▶ 10:14:47And I drive this all modern car that has great pickup and is wonderful and wasn't even made by Elon Musk, but it is a very fast electric car. And I have renewable energy on my roof and heat pumps. And now, for the first time, I have heating and cooling. They're easy to operate on my house. I have a great induction stove, all electric appliances, and nothing ever goes wrong. And if the electricity goes off, which it often does because I live on an island, I have a battery backup for storage. I don't need a generator. It just powers my house for two or three days.
▶ 10:15:17It costs me about $15 a month because I am on the grid. I send the electricity back to the grid when I make too much in the um summer and I buy it back in the winter. And so I have a net zero house, but I don't pay electric bills. I don't pay gasoline bills. And I got a great life and a warm house and a comfortable home. And I was able to do that all because of renewable energy. and you have just taken away the opportunity for people to do that who couldn't afford or weren't building a new house as I was.
▶ 10:15:47Why in the world would you do that? It's beyond me. I encourage you to support this amendment. I encourage you to see the light. And if you need convincing, please take the fairy and come visit me. Before I move to the next speaker, I have to say I want to compliment my friends on the Democratic side for so many invitations. I'm gonna go to the Olympics with Miss Taus. I'm going to see the beautiful coastline of Maine with Miss Pingri.
▶ 10:16:15And God knows how many times Quay has invited me down to see the border and eat great Mexican food. So I I just appreciate your Bart and I'm going to go to celebrate the 250th birthday in America in Philadelphia. I mean, this is a hell of a day. So I just want to thank all of you. Okay. Yeah. Well, you wouldn't be the Uh but anyway, thank you. U M uh the chair recognized Mr.
▶ 10:16:43Leven from California for the purposes of addressing the amendment. Welcome in my district as well. Beautiful coastal Southern California. Uh I also rise to support the amendment. And for me, it's not about ideology. It's about common sense. It's about saving money. It's about grid reliability. And it's about American competitiveness. Uh this is how we keep the lights on and how we win the economic race of the 21st century. Let's start with cost.
▶ 10:17:12There was just a study by Lazard. That's not an environmental group. It's Wall Street analysis uh showing that a levelized cost of energy uh for wind and solar are now the cheapest forms of new electricity in America. Even without the subsidies, solar averages around $58 per megawatt hour, wind around 50.
▶ 10:17:34New natural gas is up around 75 and coal is even more Now, it's true that every energy source, all of them have received government support, but the tax credits we're talking about today weren't about ideology. They were about industrial strategy. And they worked. They worked. Since passage of the inflation reduction act, there was over $330 billion in private clean energy investment, not just in any one region, but nationwide.
▶ 10:18:03We started building solar panels in Georgia and Alabama, wind turbines in Iowa, battery plants in Kentucky and Arizona, and many of those new jobs, tens of thousands of them, landed in Republican districts. Repealing the tax credits is pulling the rug out from that growth. Industry projections show a 60% drop in clean energy deployment by 2035. That's over half a million American jobs at risk.
▶ 10:18:30And at a time when demand is surging thanks to AI or data centers, electrification, reshoring, we need more energy investment, not less. Repealing these credits is exactly the wrong move. Let's talk about reliability. Some argue that clean energy makes the grid less stable. The evidence says exactly the opposite. The strongest, most reliable grids are the ones that are diverse with renewables, storage, natural gas, and a modern transmission backbone.
▶ 10:19:00Reliability isn't about fossil versus renewables. It's about resilience. It's about building a system that can handle extremes, that can handle spikes in demand, and that can handle supply shocks. Let me close with this. I mentioned earlier that in 2024, China invested $940 billion in clean energy. That's three times what we did in the United States. They added 350 gawatt of renewables. That's three times the entire US solar capacity.
▶ 10:19:29And they're not doing it to save the planet. They're doing it to dominate the global energy economy. And that's exactly why these tax credits are so essential. They're not about sending money to China. They're about building the supply chain here in America. Since the inflation reduction act passed, over 80% of new clean energy manufacturing investments have gone to US states. Again, in many Republican districts, we're making solar and wind and EVs and grid components in the United States.
▶ 10:20:00These credits are what level the playing field against Chinese subsidies and bring jobs back home. Repealing them doesn't hurt China, it helps China. By allowing these tax credits to disappear, we're not just stalling clean energy. We are seeding ground to Beijing. This isn't about treehugging. It's about waving the American flag. It's about making sure America builds the energy backbone of the future here at home with America, American workers and American steel.
▶ 10:20:29That's something I sure hope we can all support. And I yield back. Thank gentlemen. The gentle lady from Texas, Miss Escobar, is recognized to address the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And um uh the subcommittee chairman uh just a little bit ago mentioned that we shouldn't be an already passed piece of legislation.
▶ 10:20:57And respectfully, that's what's been happening this entire Congress. The repeal of the infrastructure bill or the components of it. Repeal of the bipartisan infrastructure law or components of it. repealing um some aspects of the Affordable Care Act. I mean, that's what has been happening all Congress, this Congress. So, Mr.
▶ 10:21:23Chairman, I I share your frustration with the undoing of established law because that uh has been really damaging and in this case to the uh clean energy sector. I met recently with one of my utility companies and have spoken actually with other folks working on clean energy and their challenge is that they can't count on Congress.
▶ 10:21:53They can't count on us. We we uh extend uh subsidies in order to help incentivize clean energy and jobs and cheaper electricity costs. And then here we are revoking it. Or we didn't. Our side of the aisle didn't. Your side of the aisle did. And this will cost us jobs.
▶ 10:22:19In fact, in America, this will cost us over 840,000 jobs in the next 5 years and an additional 790,000 jobs beyond that over the next decade. We are harming ourselves.
▶ 10:22:40We are harming our ability to deliver cheaper energy costs to our con The number one issue for my constituents right now is affordability and in and and Mr. Chairman, I invite you to come to El Paso, Texas, uh to the the beautiful border community of El Paso, Texas. We're known as the sun city.
▶ 10:23:09You can feel how hot it is. We're getting almost as hot as Vegas. Not quite, but we're headed there. And so my constituents are using more and more electricity over the summer. It used to be when I was growing up in El Paso, we would have like two weeks of 100 plus degree days. Last summer, we had 90 days of 100 plus degrees.
▶ 10:23:40We are one of the most quickly warming communities in the and I represent an economically disadvantaged community. So, my need access to cheaper energy.
▶ 10:23:58Our utility was planning on using tax credits in order to expand solar I met with them recently and because of the reconciliation bill, they are likely going to have to scrap those plans.
▶ 10:24:16And we are going to have to get used to rolling blackouts in my community because they cannot meet the energy needs of a rapidly warming southwest I do not understand why we are doing this to ourselves. I cannot wrap my head around it. It is inexplicable.
▶ 10:24:41But we have a chance to undo that unfortunate decision in the reconciliation bill. And Miss Captor, I want to thank you for bringing this up because we have an opportunity to write a wrong and to deliver jobs and cheaper to communities like mine that are getting hotter and hotter and hotter in a community that
▶ 10:25:11can't afford the electricity it takes to keep their homes cool. Mr. Chairman, I yield back. Thank the gentle lady. The gentle lady from the state of Washington, Miss Perez, is recognized to address the Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, I rise in um in a a deliberative spirit uh a a spirit of of discourse.
▶ 10:25:41Um you know, when it's the Northwest where I live, like it was never hot like this before. when it's when it's 90°, when it's 100°, you can't fix cars. Um, it's too hot to pull a hot car into a garage and wrench. So, I can't pay my mortgage. I can't pay the bill on it. Um, and so I think it's real for working Americans in a way that it isn't for people who can afford to install a heat pump in their home.
▶ 10:26:09And I and I and I question the the framing at times that positions the cost to operate versus the life cycle analysis and and the question of who has the capital to make these improvements.
▶ 10:26:27There was a study out of the OM that was very clear about who is using these rebates for electric vehicles and heat pumps and the kinds of things you have to have 20K in the bank to get into.
▶ 10:26:41And um you know, I mean, I I I think critically about my commitment to pursuing a progressive tax strategy and trying to motivate and animate a policy position that moves us where where people who are working are the ones who are the stakeholders here. Like I believe in it is not a question of whether or not it's hotter. I was eight months pregnant and it hit 107 degrees. We've never seen that.
▶ 10:27:12and I I um and I also, you know, the refusal to implement a tariff policy that would that would reject solar panels that are made by slave labor and batteries that are made by foreign children. It's not just about cost.
▶ 10:27:38It is about what you're getting for your money and what you are building at home and a in a in a proper place of limitations knowing what is enough and not building bigger barns all the time. I'm not Malthusian. Like I think we should have kids, you know.
▶ 10:27:55I think we should be able to have, you know, have barns but limits, you know, and and I on the other hand, if I had confidence that the way that this policy was moving was going to put working Americans behind the driver's seat and would move a policy that would, you know, you put a a skirt on a mobile home, you save a ton of energy.
▶ 10:28:24You put that air gap, you know, $2,000 of sheet metal around the bottom of a mobile home. That's smart. The things that my grandparents knew how to do to put an eve, you measure your eve, you know, at the eclipse at the uh the so that it shadow goes over your windows. You put, you know, you put the long side south where it's cold.
▶ 10:28:46you put this, you know, I mean, the things that were traditional knowledges of how you correctly and built correctly based on heritage and not argon filled triple glazed windows. Um, not a not an idea that you there's a panacea, but that it takes time. Like money and urgency is not enough to get us where we want to go.
▶ 10:29:13And I and I I I wish there was a way to to talk more candidly about what we're trying to get at here. Um and and I I I if I if I had more confidence in partnership and ensuring that we have access, public access, public ownership of our woods and our rivers, it wasn't going to get auctioned off to Nestle,
▶ 10:29:44you know. Um the places we go when it's 107 degrees. I will I will not tell you where our secret water hole swimming hole is that we go to when it's 107°. I will not invite you there respectfully, Mr. Chairman. Um but I I just um I ask I I just I I hope that we can more of this into building what we want and not just saying what we don't like.
▶ 10:30:15And I yield back. I thank gentle lady. Regret the lack of an invitation, but hey, you put you you showed excellent judgment. Um uh are there other members wishing to address the amendment?
▶ 10:30:30Gentleman from Maryland's First uh let me say to the gentleman who does something that I think we absolutely have to do and make sure that China's not uh eating our lunch. John, I'm speaking to you. I I congratulate you for what you're doing.
▶ 10:30:54And when you stood up, I thought to myself, why didn't we make sure that Chinese companies couldn't do that in the United States? Certainly not get a subsidy. I don't want him to be here very frankly. But having said that, uh, Mr. Alfred and I have become pretty good and, uh, it's hard to get people's attention.
▶ 10:31:29I'm so egotistical. when I'm talking about somebody I said at the end of my little talk when you and I were talking about Marcy's and what we really heard here and we heard I thought Mike was terrific Mike we're talking about competing we're talking about winning creating jobs all of us talk about creating jobs these tax credits
▶ 10:32:00weren't uh taken because there was waste, fraud, and abuse. It was taken because a you needed to fund your tax cut. I get that you it was a pay for. Wasn't based upon its waste, fraud, and abuse. Nor was it waste based upon the fact that it is in fact doing what we wanted to do, creating a lot of jobs. You heard the statistics, Mr. Leven. But Mark, let me tell you this.
▶ 10:32:27You mentioned something and and I didn't get a chance to get back up and say something, but you said, "Look, it was done in a nonpartisan basis. You got 3.8, we got 1.7." We being the simplistic way of saying, not the states, but the members here. That's what's a distribution. And you said this is done in a nonpartisan basis.
▶ 10:32:51Well, that was done in a nonpartisan basis because it was a Democratic president, a Democratic administration who let those contracts and by golly, they left us behind. I'm damned angry about it. Of course, I'm not because the issue was not politics. The issue is how do we best compete, John, the work you're doing is critically important. Mike is right. China is trying to eat our lunch and everybody else's lunch and they don't care how they do it.
▶ 10:33:21They steal our intellectual property. They steal our plans. They steal anything and they can steal and then they turn it into their profit. this amendment is not going to pass. You're not going you guys are not going to vote to repeal something you just spent very tough time passing. I get But you like tax credits. You like tax credits that create jobs.
▶ 10:33:50You talk about that all the time and you put it in your reconciliation bill. By the way, let's not get so tight and and Mark, with all due respect, I think waste, fraud, and abuse is a is a phony issue. We're all for getting rid of waste, fraud, and abuse. And when you give me a list of all the things that they that those did and the waste, fraud, and abuse that they found, they didn't find any. They found numbers.
▶ 10:34:18The tax credit was not about waste, fraud, and abuse. It was about a number that could help fund the tax cut. All I'm saying to all of us, and I say it again and again, I know I must sound like a broken record. Maybe I am a broken record. We're in this together. We're Americans. We're not We're not compete. Democrats are not competing with China. Republicans aren't competing with China. America is competing with China. And if we lose, our people are all going to lose.
▶ 10:34:49That's what Marcy is saying. Marcy Chapter, more than any other member I've served with, and Marcy and I have almost served the same amount of time, has talked more about working men and women in her district and in this country and the Midwest than anybody I've served with. she really cares about. It's in her gut and it needs to be in our gut.
▶ 10:35:13And America will do better if we work at competing, creating jobs, bringing costs down, bringing wages up. We all want to do that. We all talk about it. We say that to the people. Let's do it.
▶ 10:35:43A gentleman from Georgia, Mr. Bishop, is recognized to address the amendment. I thank you, Mr. Chairman, for recognizing. At this time, I would like to yield uh such time as she may consume to the gentle lady from Ohio, Miss Gentle ladies recognized. I thank you. Since all the invitations are going out, thank you, Congressman Bishop.
▶ 10:36:05I wanted to stand up and say I invite you all to Toledo, Ohio, and it's a place most of you have not been, but it relates to this amendment because um I would like you to see the future of America. And in my service in Congress, I believe I've had the privilege of knowing, though he's no longer alive, uh, a man named Dr.
▶ 10:36:31Harold McMaster, who I believe will be the Thomas Alva Edison of this And, uh, when I was first elected many years ago, and unemployment was 19% in many of the places that I represented, uh, we became acquainted because I was looking for inventors.
▶ 10:36:49I was looking for people who could invent our future because what was happening at the time that I first ran was absolutely Uh the discouragement and after the first Arab oil embargo of our country, our area just plummeted and we have to survive in the market. And I know we've had a long day and you don't have to listen to the story, but I have to tell it. It's the first time I've done it on the record.
▶ 10:37:15Um, I met this gentleman about the seventh year I was in office. He was a Republican and I was a Democrat. You know, Democrats and Republicans don't often talk. Uh, but he was just such a genius and he was operating a company that made the back window for a Japanese car. No one in this country could do that. Nobody in the world could do it. And he got the contract. And by golly, he made it because he was a leader in the glass industry.
▶ 10:37:45His first company was called Glasstech. Dr. Harold McMaster. And he came, he was poor. He grew up in a county in my state where there were nine kids in his family. It was a rural area. And I often wondered how he thought about this. How could he create these patents? And I thought, I guess you're kind of alone out there when you're in the fields and you think about the sun.
▶ 10:38:08and and uh he thought about his place in the universe and he was an engineer and he worked hard to go to college to Defiance College and he ended up at the University of Toledo in one of the research labs and that's where I met him and he invited me to see what he was doing as we were struggling to figure out where are the jobs of the future going to come from and he showed me this big machine that was real shiny and I had no idea what it was and he said this is the layer machine and we're going to do seven layers of glass and the substrates
▶ 10:38:38between them. And nobody in the world had ever done that. And he filed the patents to do that. And ultimately he created a company that today is known as First Solar. It's the most important domestic manufacturer in our country. I invite every member here to come to Toledo. I'll serve you good food and you'll see something. But this man and then another man who created the thermopane windows that all of us have in our cars and in our houses.
▶ 10:39:06Norm Nitski became his buddy at the university and they kept pushing the technology. I was present with him in his 80s when he was not well and I was invited to a meeting with his family and um I said why am I here? And I was there as a witness and he said to his family, "I'm going to found my last company." And he did.
▶ 10:39:28And he said, "And I'm going I said,"Doctor, what is it going to be called?" He said, "Solar Fields." I said, "Solar Fields." And he said, "Yes." And I said, "And then what are we going to do?" He said, "We are going to um build a field 50 miles wide by 50 miles long." And I'm thinking, gosh, that's a big project. where would we ever find the money to do that? And I said, "But tell me once we find," I said, 'You know the place, don't you, Dr. McBaster?
▶ 10:39:55He goes, "Yes, it's where the angle of the sun meets the Earth at a certain angle." And um uh I said, "And then what happens when we build these fields?" He said, "Then we're going to backload the United States of America." That's how he thought. He became extremely wealthy through all of his work in all of his companies. and his family is wealthy today. But he put so much of his money into f into increasing the size of our small business school at the University of Toledo.
▶ 10:40:23He went downtown to our library and built another story there for McMaster Hall. He put money in the engineering school. So did his buddy Norish Nichki. And what those men did, I just think is going to be so profound for this country. I won't see it all in my own lifetime, but where they were headed was the America that I love. An America that was inventing a future coming out of deep depression in our part of the country.
▶ 10:40:51And so, one of the reasons I support solar is because I saw what they did and they taught me so much. And I'm just sharing this with you now. We're into paravskites. We're into bendable solar. We're into so many new products that we never had before. And what I'm most proud about it came from our region of the country which nobody I mean we don't have a big research lab. They did it because they were smart and they understood how to use the earth and how to create something that didn't exist.
▶ 10:41:18So one of the reasons I'm for solar credits is because the companies that we have, Mr. Chairman, I'll thank you. I'll end with this. The Chinese hack them hundreds of times a week to get the technology. And so anything we can do to help America, that's what I'm here to do. And I ask my colleagues to please support me on this amendment. I thank you very much. No, I'm good. They've been very polite and they're hungry. Thank you so much, gentle lady. Uh are there other members wishing to address the amendment?
▶ 10:41:46Seeing none, the gentle lady is recognized for one minute to close. Thank you. I think I just did, Mr. Chairman, and I thank everyone for their endurance. I really do. But we learn from one another. Thank you. God bless you. Please. I ask for support on the amendment and I yield back. I thank the gentle lady. The question now is on the amendment offered by the gentle lady from Ohio. All those in favor say I. All those opposed say no.
▶ 10:42:16The opinion of the chairs and nos have Roll call has been requested. May I see a show of hands? Put up both hands. Sufficient number of hands having been raised. Clerk will call the role. Mr. Mr. Adder Halt. Mr. Adder Halt. No. Mr. Aguilar. Mr. Agular. I Mr. Alford. Mr. Alford. No. Mr. Ammedday. Mr. Amade. No. Mrs. Bice. Mrs. Bice. No. Mr. Bishop. Mr. Bishop. I. Mr. Calbertt. Mr. Calbert. No. Mr.
▶ 10:42:46Carter. Mr. Carter. No. Mr. Casease. Mr. Casease. I. Mr. Mr. Klene. Mr. Cloud. Mr. Cloud. No. Mr. Mr. Mr. Klyburn. I Mr. Clyde. Mr. Clyde. No. Mr. Cole. No. Mr. Cole. No. Mr. Quayar. Mr. Quayar. I. Miss Dean. Miss Dean. I. Mr. Lauro. Mr. Lauro. I. Mr. Diaz. Bullard. Mr. Diaz. Bollard.
▶ 10:43:16No. Mr. Edwards. Mr. Edwards. No. Mr. Elzie. Mr. Elie. No. Mr. Miss Escobar. Miss Escobar. I. Mr. Espay. Hi. Mr. Espayat. I. Mr. Fleshman. No. Mr. Fleshman. No. Miss Frankle. Miss. Frankle. I. Mr. Franklin. Mr. Franklin. No. Mr. Gonzalez. Mr. Gonzalez. No. Mr. Guest. Mr. Guest. No. Mr. Harder. Dr. Harris. Dr. Harris. No. Mrs. Henson.
▶ 10:43:46Mrs. Henson. No. Mr. Hoyer. Mr. Hoyer. I. Mr. Ivy. Mr. Ivy. I. Mr. Joyce. Mr. Joyce. No. Miss Captor. Miss Captor. I Mr. Loa Miss Lee Miss Lee I Miss Lelo Miss Llo No Mr. Levan Mr.
▶ 10:44:08Levan I miss Mallaloy Miss Mallaloy no Miss McCullum Miss McCullum I Miss Ming Miss Ming I Mr. Molinar Mr. Molinar no Mr. Moore Mr. Morelli Mr. Morelli I Mr. Murvan. Mr. Murvan. I Mr. New House. Mr. New House. No. Miss Perez. Miss Perez. I Miss Pingri. Miss Pingri. I Mr. Pokean.
▶ 10:44:42Mr. Pokean. Mr. Pokean. I Mr. Quigley. Mr. Quigley. I Mr. Russianthaler. Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers. No. Mr. Rutherford. Mr. Rutherford. No, Mr. Simpson. Mr. Simpson. No, Mr. Strong. Mr. Strong. No, Mrs. Torres. Mrs. Torres. I, Miss Underwood, Miss Underwood. I, Mr. Valado, Mr. Valado. No, Miss Wasserman Schultz. Miss Wasserman Schultz. I Mrs.
▶ 10:45:12Watson Coleman. Mrs. Watson Coleman. I Mr. Wac. Mr. Wac. No. Mr. Zinci. Mr. Zinci. No, sir. Mr. Zinci. No. Are there any members wishing to record or change their vote? Gentleman from Virginia. Mr. Klene. No. Gentleman from West Virginia. Mr. Moore. No. Gentleman from is counc. Okay.
▶ 10:45:41Uh any gentle lady from Florida? Are there any other members wishing to be recorded or change their votes? Seeing none, the clerk will tally.
▶ 10:46:30Just tell us when On this vote, the eyes are 27, the nose are 32. The amendment is not adopted.
▶ 10:47:03Gentle lady from Florida, Miss Wasserman Schultz is recognized for an amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at desk. I ask unanimous consent that it be considered as read. Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with. The gentle lady is recognized for her remarks on her amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I offer this amendment because the Everglades is not just a national treasure. It's the lifeblood of South Florida, home to a delicate ecosystem, endangered species, and the cultural and spiritual heart of the Mkasuki and Seol tribes.
▶ 10:47:33The administration's proposal to construct an to construct and operate an immigration detention facility within this fragile ecosystem is deeply troubling and demands serious scrutiny. My amendment simply directs the Army Corps of Engineers in consultation with the Fish and Wildlife Service, EPA, and relevant tribal governments to provide this committee with a comprehensive report on the environmental, ecological, and cultural impacts of such a facility within 180 days.
▶ 10:47:59We are asking for transparency, accountability, and respect for one of the most unique and irreplaceable landscapes on Earth. The Everglades is home to more than 70 threatened or endangered species. It supplies drinking water to over 10 million Flidians. It protects our communities from hurricanes and floods.
▶ 10:48:16And it is a living cultural and spiritual landscape for native peoples who have been stewards of this land for Building a massive industrial detention facility in this area with its required infrastructure, increased traffic, wastewater demands, and disruption of sensitive habitats could jeopardize decades of restoration progress and billions of dollars in federal, state, and local investments. This facility violates the sovereignty and stewardship of Florida's indig indigenous tribes.
▶ 10:48:43The Mkasuki and Seol people have cared for these lands for generations. And now we're ripping away their rights as stewards of the Everglades with consequences that will last for generations. It is a dangerous and false narrative portraying the Everglades as a threat, claiming that alligators and snakes will act as guards for this facility. For centuries, the tribes lived in harmony with the fauna there who have protected and sustained them. This land has always been a refuge.
▶ 10:49:10Now it's being overrun with unnecessary infrastructure in a place it definitely does not belong, nor does it need to be placed there, nor should it be placed there. This facility also endangers indigenous children. The Mkasuki tribe operates a prek through 12 grade school with bus routes that pass right by the site. There are at least 19 traditional tribal camps in the area, 11 of which are right near this detention center.
▶ 10:49:35The light pollution from this massive detention center disrupts the traditional calendar used by the tribes to track the seasons and schedule sacred ceremonies. All of this was done without any consultation with the tribes themselves. This interference undermines centuries old cultural and spiritual practices that depend on the natural rhythms of this land. Yet, there was no consultation with tribal leaders before construction began. That's a violation of federal law and of basic respect. This is not a partisan issue.
▶ 10:50:05The Everglaze has always enjoyed strong bipartisan support because its value transcends politics. My amendment doesn't stop the administration from pursuing its plans. But it does ensure that before any irrevocable harm is done, this committee and the American people have a full understanding of the costs, the risks, and the impacts on one of the world's most extraordinary ecosystems. I urge my colleagues to support this common sense, responsible amendment.
▶ 10:50:31Let's do our job to protect the Everglades after we've spent billions of dollars restoring it, respect tribal lands, and demand accountability before it's too late. Thank you. I yield back the balance of my time. Thank gentle lady. The gentleman from Tennessee, Mr. Flashman, is recognized to respond to the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong opposition to the gentle lady's amendment.
▶ 10:50:54First and foremost, this amendment would require the assistant secretary of the army for civil works to coordinate and conduct an environmental review of alligator Alcatraz in consultation with other federal resource agencies and tribal governments. Um, I respectfully applaud President Trump's decision to secure the border and I'm grateful for the tremendous partnership between President Trump, Governor Dantis, and our Republican colleagues in Florida.
▶ 10:51:23This amendment would stall the great progress our country has made in securing the southern border. With that, I respectfully oppose the amendment. Yield back. Thank gentlemen. Gentle lady from Ohio is recognized to address the amendment.
▶ 10:51:43Uh gentle lady from Florida, Miss Frankle is recognized to address the Thank Thank you. Uh, Mr. Chair, I rise in support of this amendment offered by Representative Wasam Schultz that requires a report concerning the environmental impact of what is being called in the news alligator Alcatraz.
▶ 10:52:13The Everglades is a jewel of my home state of Florida. A magnificent national park that draws visitors from around the world, generates billions of dollars of economic uh support uh tourism and fishing and most importantly provides a drinking water for millions of Flidians and visitors.
▶ 10:52:36It is one of the world's great ecological treasures and awe aspiring yet fragile ecosystem home to endangered species and sacred tribal As described by Marjgery Stone and Douglas, the fierce and uh fearless advocate who devoted her life to protecting this unique region and championing environmental and social justice. There is no other Everglades in the world.
▶ 10:53:04They are and have always been one of the unique regions of Earth. Remote, never wholly known. Nothing anywhere is like them. And yet we are now witnessing an appalling betrayal of this precious landscape of what we in Florida call the Everglades. We call it the river of grass.
▶ 10:53:25and they are turning it into state sponsored cages that threatens decay decades of environmental regulation, violates tribal sovereignty and puts public health at risk. And let's be clear, a Donald Trump promised to remove dangerous criminals from our communities.
▶ 10:53:47But instead, Florida's governor partnering with the federal government has erected a squalid makeshift facility in the heart of the Everglades to warehouse thousands of people, most whose only crime is seeking a better life and whose have been contributing significantly to our economy. It is disgusting and embarrassing that the Florida Republican Party is now selling hats and t-shirts to celebrate this cruelty.
▶ 10:54:17Are you Are you kidding me? You know how much this costs? It's costing $450 million a year without even approval by our state legislature. It's a political stunt, pure and simple. Uh folks, we should be pursuing bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform, not building prison camps in our national park. I urge a yes vote and I y I yel back. Thank you, gentle lady.
▶ 10:54:46Are there further members wishing other members wishing to address the amendment? Seeing none, the gentle lady is recognized for one minute to close. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um I I just want to very specifically expressly point out this amendment just says that they should prepare nothing more than a report and we ask agencies to coordinate with one another on reports all the time.
▶ 10:55:14There's nothing demanding about this or overly taxing and it absolutely respectfully to the the subchairman of the subcommittee does not suggest closing down the facility or stop anything although I would like to but it does not stop anything and I hope the chairman would acknowledge that this amendment does nothing whatsoever to stop the activity at the site.
▶ 10:55:39It simply asks for vital information that I would hope that all of us would want when we've spent hund if we are good stewards of taxpayer dollars. Mr. Chairman, respectfully, we have spent billions of dollars restoring the Everglades over the last 25 years.
▶ 10:55:57We all express feelalty to Native American tribes and always those of us that represent those tribes talk about how important it is that we respect their tribal sovereignty, that we not infringe on their lands, that we coordinate with them when there's activity that the federal government is going to engage in. And you have members in this committee falling over themselves to make sure that the tribes understand that we support them.
▶ 10:56:26And this facility and the state and the federal government did absolutely nothing to coordinate with the Mkasuki tribe of Florida or the Semino tribe of Florida. They just came in and they bulldozed and did whatever they wanted to just drop this detention facility in the middle of swamp land an hour and a half into the Everglades for the stunt of it. We should at least find out what kind of environmental damage that that that is going to be done so we can have fully make fully informed decisions.
▶ 10:56:55Thank you for your indulgence, Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time and I urge an I Thank gentle lady. The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentle lady from Florida. All those in favor say I. All those opposed say no. The opinion of the chairs and nos have it. Roll call has been requested. Sufficient number of hands have been raised. Clerk will call the role. Mr. Adhalt. Mr. Adder Holt. No. Mr. Aguular. Mr. Aguular. I. Mr. Alford. Mr. Alford. No.
▶ 10:57:26Mr. Amade. Mr. Ammedday. No. Mrs. Bice. Mrs. Bice. No. Mr. Bishop. Mr. Bishop. I. Mr. Calbertt. Mr. Calvert. No. Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter. No. Mr. Casease. Mr. Casease. I. Mr. Mr. Klene. Mr. Cloud. Mr. Klyber. Hi. Mr. Klyber. I Mr. Clyde Mr. Clyde No Mr. Cole no Mr. Cole no Mr.
▶ 10:57:52Quayar I Mr. Lauro Mr. Luro I Mr. Diaz Bolard Mr. Diaz Bolard no Mr. Edwards Mr. Edwards no Mr. Elzie Mr. Elie no Mr. Mr. Escobar I Mr. Espayat Mr. Espayat I Mr. Fleshman Mr. Fleshman no Miss Frankle Miss Frankle I Mr. Franklin. Mr. Franklin. No. Mr. Gonzalez. Mr. Gonzalez. No. Mr. Guest.
▶ 10:58:23Mr. Harter. Dr. Harris. Dr. Harris. No. Mrs. Henson. Mrs. Henson. No. Mr. Hoyer. Mr. Hoyer. I. Mr. Ivy. Hi. Mr. Ivy. I. Mr. Joyce. Mr. Joyce. No. Miss Captor. Miss Captor. I. Mr. Loa. Mr. Loa. No. Miss Lee. Miss Lee. I Mr. Miss Lllo. Miss Lllo. No. Mr. Leven. Mr. Leven.
▶ 10:58:53I Miss Mallaloy. Miss Mallaloy. No. Miss McCullum. Miss McCullum. I Miss Ming. Miss Ming. I. Mr. Mr. Molinar. No. Mr. Moore. Mr. Moore. No. Mr. Morelli. Mr. Morelli. I. Mr. Morvan. Hi. Mr. Morvan. I. Mr. New House. Mr. New House. No. Miss Perez, Miss Pingri, Miss Pingri, I Mr. Pokean, Mr. Pokean, I Mr.
▶ 10:59:22Quigley, Mr. Rashenthaler, Mr. Rashinthaler, No Mr. Rogers, Mr. Rogers. No, Mr. Ruford. Mr. Ruford. Mr. Rutherford? No. Mr. Simpson? Mr. Simpson? No. Mr. Strong? Mr. Strong? No. Mrs. Torres. Mrs. Torres I Miss Underwood Miss Underwood I Mr. Valido Mr. Valado no Miss Wasserman Schultz Mr. Wasserman Schultz I Mrs.
▶ 10:59:52Watson Coleman Mrs. Watson Coleman I Mr. WAC Mr. Wac No Mr. Zinci Mr. Mr. Zinci no Are there any members wishing to vote or change their vote? Gentleman from Mr. Guest, no. Gentleman from Texas. Mr. Cloud. No. Gentleman from Virginia. Mr. Klene. No. Gentleman from California. Mr. Harter.
▶ 11:00:22I uh gentleman from Arizona. Mr. Sisammani. No. Have all members voted or do any members desire to change their vote? Seeing none, the clerk will tally.
▶ 11:01:33I don't know if we're going to Thank you. You're welcome. You want one? Thank you. I'll double check, but yeah. Anybody still in the office? I have my key.
▶ 11:02:03I have my double check. What's the status of the house? They're in recess right now. I'm hearing rumors they're going to vote I'm hearing rumors they're going to vote On this vote, the eyes are 25, the nose are 35. The amendment is not adopted.
▶ 11:02:36gentle lady from Connecticut who has been doing yman work in the rules committee and we thank you very much along with I guess Mr. Diaz Bolard was to overcome he hasn't made it back where where's my where's my colleague it was uh he's eating okay I'll try that next okay to both of you thank you for doing that well thank you thank you wild anyway my friend the gentle lady from uh Connecticut's recognized for an thank you Mr.
▶ 11:03:04Chair, I have an amendment at the desk and I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with. The reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentle lady's recognized for remarks on her amendment. I rise to offer this amendment to prohibit the implementation of tariffs that would increase energy costs on American consumers who are dealing with a cost of living crisis. Affordable, reliable energy is essential to a modern economy and it is one of the most important parts of balancing a household budget.
▶ 11:03:32After rent or a mortgage, the first thing most families pay is the power bill. And right now, everyone's bills are going up. The Yale Budget Lab estimates that the current set of tariffs will already add three $3,800 a year to a typical household's costs before factoring in the impacts of more expensive energy on the broader economy. Not only do American families lose under this tariff policy, so do businesses who cannot absorb these costs.
▶ 11:04:02According to the Tax Foundation, President Trump's tariffs are the largest tax hike since Meanwhile, the majority just gave away $4.5 trillion to billionaires in their reconciliation bill. This bill kills funding for renewable energy projects already gutted by the big ugly bill.
▶ 11:04:21According to analysis by the think tank energy innovation, the changes to energy policy in the big ugly bill will already increase household energy bills by as much as $170 on average every year by The report finds that bills in Missouri will rise the most, nearly $640 a year. Kentucky, South Carolina, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Texas are next.
▶ 11:04:49The administration might try to say they are addressing costs by quote unleashing American energy end quote and they are going to quote drill baby drill. America is already the world's largest petroleum exporter. If more fossil fuels were the answer, we would not be experiencing an energy crisis. We need to expand all available energy sources, including renewables, which have rapidly become more reliable and costeffective.
▶ 11:05:17But President Trump's tariffs are going to make it more expensive to build new energy projects, especially energy storage installations, which are vital to maintaining grid resilience and improving capacity. Energy research from Wood McKenzie found that import tariffs could raise costs for utility scale energy storage installations by more than 50% and make the US the world's most expensive solar market.
▶ 11:05:42President Trump is also preparing to raise the cost of key energy materials such as copper, which is a crucial component in electrical wiring. This will make it even more expensive to build and maintain energy infrastructure. Make no mistake, these costs will be passed down to American families, and low-income families who spend a greater share of their income on energy will get hit the hardest.
▶ 11:06:06I know the president has never had to worry about making ends meet, but for Americans living paycheck to paycheck, the uncertainty his tariffs are bringing are causing confusion and fear for parents just trying to fill up their car and keep their thermostat stable. I am proud to propose this amendment and I urge my colleagues to support it as well. Thank you and I yield back. I thank the gentle lady. The gentleman from Tennessee, Mr. Flashman's recognized to address the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 11:06:35our rise in opposition to the ranking members amendment. Uh President Trump's administration is stabilizing inflation and delivering on its promise to unleash American energy dominance. The administration is laser focused on lowering the cost of energy and delivering affordable, reliable American energy. This amendment would prevent the implementation of tariffs that would increase energy costs in the United States. And for that reason, I oppose it and I yield back.
▶ 11:07:08Gentle lady from Well, no, I guess not. Excuse me. I don't know. Are there other members who wish to address the amendment? Seeing none, the gentle lady is recognized for one minute to close. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh let me close by reminding everyone that the American people are demanding help with the cost of living.
▶ 11:07:36That is the issue we hear about over and over and over again. The last thing that the administration should be doing is engaging in reckless and inflationary trade wars and putting universal tariffs on everything in sight, causing such uncertainty in every s in every single quarter of our economy. Big business, small business, no matter what it is, they are scared as hell.
▶ 11:08:05This amendment reaffirms Congress's power of the purse. It puts the Department of Energy back on mission, innovating to drive down energy costs for Americans. The American people need the help with the cost of living. This amendment gives it to them. Urge your support for the amendment and I yield back. Thank the gentle lady. The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentle lady from Connecticut. All those in favor say I. All those opposed say no.
▶ 11:08:34The opinion of the chair, the nos have Roll call. Roll call has been requested. I see a few more hands, please. Sufficient number of hands having been raised. The clerk will call the role. Mr. Adder Holt. Mr. Adder Holt. No. Mr. Agular. Mr. Aguular. I Mr. Alford. Mr. Alford. No. Mr. Ammedday. Mr. Amade. No. Mrs. Bice. Mrs. Bice. No. Mr. Bishop. Mr.
▶ 11:09:04Bishop. I. Mr. Calbertt. Mr. Calbertt. No. Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter. No. Mr. Casease. Mr. Casease. I. Mr. Sisammani. Mr. Sisamani. No. Mr. Klene. Mr. Cloud. Mr. Cloud. No. Mr. Klyurn. Mr. Klyurn. I. Mr. Clyde. Mr. Clyde. No. Mr. Cole. Mr. Cole. No. Mr. Quayar. Mr. Quayar. I. Miss Dean. Miss Dean. I. Mr. Lauro.
▶ 11:09:35Mr. Loro. I, Mr. Diaz Bolard. Mr. Diaz Bolard. No, Mr. Edwards. Mr. Edwards. No. Mr. Elzie. Mr. Elzie. No. Miss Escobar. Mr. Escobar. I Mr. Espayott. Mr. Espayott. I. Mr. Fleshman. Mr. Fleshman. Mr. Fleshman. No. Miss Frankle. Miss. Frankle. I. Mr. Franklin. Mr. Franklin. No. Mr. Gonzalez. Mr. Gonzalez. No. Mr. Guest. Mr. Guest. No. Mr. Harter. Mr.
▶ 11:10:05Harter. I Dr. Harris. Dr. Harris. No. Mrs. Henson. Mrs. Henson. No. Mr. Hoyer. Mr. Hoyer. I. Mr. Ivy. Mr. Ivy. I Mr. Joyce. Mr. Joyce. No. Miss Captor. Miss Captor. I Mr. Loa. Mr. Loa. No. Miss Lee. Miss Lee. I Miss Llo. Miss Llo, no. Mr.
▶ 11:10:35Levan, Mr. Leven, I Miss Mallaloy. Miss Malloy, no. Miss McCullum. Miss McCullum. I Miss Ming. Miss Ming. Miss Ming. I. Mr. Molinar. Mr. Molinar. No. Mr. Moore. Mr. Moore. No. Mr. Morelli. Mr. Morelli. I. Mr. Murvan. Mr. Mvan. I. Mr. New House. Mr. New House. No. Miss. Perez. Miss. Perez. No. Miss Pingri. Miss Pingri. I. I Mr. Pokean Mr.
▶ 11:11:05Pokean I Mr. Mr. Rashenthaler Mr. Rashenthaler no Mr. Mr. Rogers no Mr. Rutherford Mr. Rutherford no Mr. Simpson Mr. Simpson no Mr. Strong Mr. Strong no Mrs. Torres Mrs. Torres I miss Underwood Miss Underwood I Mr. Valido Mr. Mr. Valado. No. Miss Wasserman Schultz. Miss Wasserman Schultz. I Mrs. Watson Coleman. Mrs. Watson Coleman.
▶ 11:11:35I Mr. WAC. Mr. Wac. No. Mr. Zinci. Mr. Zinci. No. Are there any members wishing to record their vote or change their vote? Gentleman from Virginia. Mr. Klene. No. Are there others wishing to change their vote or record their vote? Seeing none, the clerk will tally.
▶ 11:13:12Thank you. On this vote, the eyes are 26, the nose are 36. The amendment is not adopted. Gentle gentle lady from Florida, Miss Wasserman Schulz, is recognized for an Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 11:13:44I have an amendment at the desk and I ask unanimous consent that it be considered as rep. Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentle lady's recognized for remarks on her amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I I offer this amendment to protect again one of America's most fragile and irre irreplaceable ecosystems from the devastating impacts of a massive new waste to energy inc incinerator. Over the past year, heated debates raged in Miami Dade County over how to manage its trash after the Dural incinerator burned down in 2023.
▶ 11:14:15Just yesterday, the county commission voted to move forward on building a new incinerator, but troublingly left the door open to build it in a in a location that puts the Everglades at risk. One site under the discussion is the Everglades detentions uh the Everglades detention site area itself, which sits directly adjacent to critical wetlands and tribal lands, as I just discussed.
▶ 11:14:39and other sites under consideration are within a stones throw of the Everglades ecosystem and near residential communities in Myiramar, Florida in my congressional district. That is unacceptable. The Everglades isn't just some swamp. It's the beating heart of Florida's water supply, a haven for endangered wildlife, and a sacred place for the Mkasuki and Seol Indian tribes. As I mentioned, it supports millions of Flidians, protects us from hurricanes, and sustains billions in tourism and agriculture.
▶ 11:15:07Building an industrialcale incinerator next to this fragile ecosystem and pumping out emissions threatening water quality and destroying habitat is all reckless and shortsighted. This amendment is simple and responsible. It ensures that none of the funds in this bill can be used to permit, fund, or otherwise enable the construction or operation of a new incinerator within one mile of the Everglades, Big Cypress National Preserve, or adjacent wetlands unless the Secretary of the Army certifies that it will have no significant adverse impacts on air, water, or wildlife.
▶ 11:15:38This is not a ban, nor is it overriding local decision-making. It's accountability. It forces transparency and environmental review before a decision is made that could irreversibly damage one of America's greatest natural treasures. I just talked about in the in the previous amendment I offered that we've spent billions of dollars through this subcommittee which I serve on in Everglades restoration funds over 25 years. We all understand the need to manage waste responsibly.
▶ 11:16:05But the solution cannot come at the expense of our health, our water, our environment, or our sacred lands. Residents across South Florida from Dural to Myiramar are clear. They don't want this incinerator in their backyards or in the Everglades. Environmental groups, tribal leaders, and local officials have warned that putting it near the Everglades risks polluting our water table, destroying habitat, and undermining decades of restoration work.
▶ 11:16:28This amendment simply says, "If you want to build this thing near one of the world's most sensitive ecosystems, you'd better better prove that it won't cause harm first." That is the very least that we owe the people of Florida and the generations who will inherit this land after us. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and I yield back. I thank gentle lady. Uh the gentleman from Tennessee, Mr. Flashman is recognized to uh address the amendment.
▶ 11:16:58Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I respectfully rise in opposition to this amendment. This amendment would preempt and override local communities attempting to determine the best way to address local waste management challenges. On a bipartisan basis, this subcommittee has long opposed provisions that would have the appropriations committee adjudicate individual permits in this manner.
▶ 11:17:23Local communities should decide what best meets their needs and the core can review those proposals as appropriate. In that regard, I oppose the amendment and yield back. I thank the gentleman and gentle is gentle lady from Ohio wish to address the amendment. Okay, I'm just making sure. Uh, are there other members wishing to address the amendment?
▶ 11:17:55Seeing none, the gentle lady is recognized for one minute to close. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, I just think it is really important to raise this issue and it does not infringe on local government's decision-m because they can still make that decision.
▶ 11:18:11We just exercise our right after spending billions of dollars on ever Everglades restoration to make sure that there is a review at the federal level about the impact of that site being having an incinerator built on it. And we don't need an incinerator, a massive incinerator built right near our incredibly precious investment that we've spent billions of dollars restoring and protecting it is absolutely essential.
▶ 11:18:40Protecting that investment is essential and it's in the federal government's interest to do so. So I would ask uh for members indulgence in support of this amendment and I yield I thank the gentle lady. The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentle lady from Florida.
▶ 11:19:10All those in favor say I. All those opposed say no. the opinion the chair the nose have it and the amendment is not agreed to gentleman from Texas Mr. Quayar is recognized for an amendment thank you Mr.
▶ 11:19:30Chairman I have an amendment at the desk and I ask that we dispense with the reading without objection the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentleman is recognized for remarks on his amendment uh thank you Mr. chairman and uh to the uh uh chairman of the committee, subcommittee and the ranking member. This is an amendment that I'm going offer and then withdraw. But basically, very simple, we got to do our job. We just can't say we're going to spend a dollar and not know what happens to that dollar. We got to measure the dollar.
▶ 11:19:59So, we are asking for performance reviews. We're asking for regulatory reviews. And I ask you all to consider this at the appropriate time. Uh Mr. chairman. Uh, and at this time I I withdraw the amendment. Thank you so I thank the gentleman. Amendment is The gentleman from New York, Mr. Espot, is recognized for an amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, I have an amendment at the desk.
▶ 11:20:28Ask unanimous consent to dispense the reading. Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentleman is recognized for remarks on his amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, just like last year, I'm introducing this amendment that would strike writers that prohibit diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, allow discrimination against same-sex marriage, and encourage the naming of buildings after Confederate sites.
▶ 11:20:57Uh, the inclusion of these sections are really irrelevant, means pivoted, only seek to further disenfranchise communities. The section in questions section 609 which prohibits funding to rename sites named after the confederacy.
▶ 11:21:16Section 505 which prohibits funding for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, training programs, offices, office offices or policies or any programs or projects or activities related to critical race theory. and section 506 which allows for the discrimination based on same-sex marriage.
▶ 11:21:39And finally, section 508, which limits the ability to fly flags of at facilities aimed at eliminating the use of the pride flags. Uh, I yield back, Mr. Chairman. Thank gentlemen. The gentleman from Tennessee, Mr. Flashman, is recognized to address the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. and I rise to oppose this amendment. In my view, it is not the government's place to advantage one group over another.
▶ 11:22:10The government should be politically neutral, enforcing laws and regulations equally and creating an equal playing field for all to have the same opportunities, not enforcing predetermined outcomes.
▶ 11:22:24The language in the bill ensures that federal tax dollars are not to be spent on hours of meetings, training sessions, and other activities that focus on discriminating against groups of citizens based on the color of their skin, their religion, or their gender identity. I respectfully urge an vote on the amendment, and I yield back. Thank the gentleman. The gentle lady from Ohio is recognized to address the Thank you.
▶ 11:22:54Uh Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of Mr. Espay's uh amendment and um uh the bill includes harmful writers that show that uh our colleagues on the other side of the aisle are not interested in bills that can gain bipartisan support and become law. I really don't understand why these provisions are necessary uh that the majority has inserted on an energy and water bill.
▶ 11:23:21And I would hope that my colleagues can stop targeting those uh who may be different from themselves and uh embrace acceptance or at least tolerance of others. Uh we're all God's creatures and we're all created a little bit differently, but that's what makes the world interesting, I guess. And uh in terms of history, um uh the bill prohibits the core of engineers from renaming items that uh commemorate the Confederacy.
▶ 11:23:49And a lot of you visit places here in Washington. I think probably one of the best pieces of art I've ever seen is up at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception where there is this um carving on the wall that goes way back to when the slaves were first brought to America.
▶ 11:24:06And what you see is these figures that over time over each century emerge and become human become human and living in a modern era. And I thought now whoever did that that is really good. So I guess my point is I don't like to get rid of history. I like to remember it and I like to show progress especially in the greatest nation in the world here in the United States of America.
▶ 11:24:34So rather than having these kinds of uh troublesome amendments, I think it would be good for us to get better acquainted with one another and appreciate the value of each human being. So um I rise in support of his amendment, would urge my colleagues to support it as well. Thank you. I urge adoption of the amendment and yield back. I thank the gentle lady. Are there other members wishing to address the amendment? Gentleman from Maryland's Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll be brief. Mr.
▶ 11:25:04Fleshman said he thought the government ought to be neutral. Dante said the hottest places in hell are for those who in times of great moral crisis maintain their neutrality. This administration rightfully is saying we're not neutral when it comes to We shouldn't be neutral when it comes to racism. We shouldn't be neutral when it comes to xenophobia phobia.
▶ 11:25:36So, Mr. Fleshman, I would simply say that what the gentleman's amendment seeks to say is that yes, we're not going to take sides, but nor are we going to penalize those who have and want to advocate on behalf of those who have so egregiously been left behind. slavery, the original sin of America.
▶ 11:26:05It took us 400 years to intellectually say that we were not going to support racism. But we know that both anti-semitism and racism and sexism remains today. And I don't understand the position of saying that we are not going to be neutral.
▶ 11:26:31on those issues and we're going to try to lift up those who were left behind, those who were discriminated against, those who got the very, very short end of the stick. I really don't understand why you're so animated. Do I believe that white people ought to be discriminated on behalf of black people? I do not.
▶ 11:26:57But it does mean that I know for sure that black people in many instances are shoved aside because of the color of their skin. I support the gentleman's amendment. I thank gentlemen. Are there other members wishing to address the Not.
▶ 11:27:27Gentleman is recognized for one minute to close. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I I echo the sentiments of the ranking member of the committee and being perplexed and confused of why these uh writers are in this committee subcommittee of of energy and commerce and and why are they laced in here?
▶ 11:27:56Is it to hide the content of them? Is it to um pass them swiftly in the middle of the night so no one really understands or is aware of it? Uh when in fact in substance they have very little to do with the content of our debate here today.
▶ 11:28:15Uh but again um it it is uh a similar action that I took last year will continue to take every year as these writers are included that will prohibit Americans from uh being part of a family of the American family and excluding them uh because they may be different than us when in fact this nation should reward differences and accept all of Uh,
▶ 11:28:46I yield back, Mr. I thank the gentleman. The gentleman, the question is now on the amendment offered by the gentleman from New York. All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed say no. The opinion of the chair, the nos have And the amendment is not agreed to. Oh, that that's fine. I just please help me by getting them up right away or letting me know. Uh, a roll call has been requested.
▶ 11:29:15Sufficient number of hands having been shown. Clerk call the Mr. Adder Halt. Mr. Adder Halt. No. Mr. Aguular. Mr. Aguular. I. Mr. Alford. Mr. Alford. No. Mr. Ammedday. Mr. Ammedday. No. Mrs. Bice. Mrs. Bice. No. Mr. Bishop. Mr. Cal. Mr. Bishop. I. Mr. Calbertt. Mr. Calbert. No. Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter. No. Mr. Case. Mr. Case. I. Mr. Siskamani. Mr. Sisammani. No. Mr. Klein. Mr. Klene. No. Mr. Cloud.
▶ 11:29:45Mr. Cloud. No. Mr. Klyurn. Mr. Klyurn. I Mr. Clyde. Mr. Clyde. No. Mr. Cole. No. Mr. Cole. No. Mr. Quayar. Miss Dean. Miss Dean. I. Miss Deloro. Mr. Diaz Bolard. Mr. Edwards. Mr. Edwards. No. Mr. Elie. Mr. Elsie. No. Miss Escobar. Miss Escobar. Miss Escobar. I Mr. Espayot. Mr. Espayot.
▶ 11:30:15I Mr. Fleshman. Mr. Fleshman. No. Miss. Frankle. Miss. Frank. I. Mr. Franklin. Mr. Franklin. No. Mr. Gonzalez. Mr. Gonzalez. No. Mr. Guest. Mr. Guest. No. Mr. Harter. Mr. Harter. I. Dr. Harris. Dr. Harris. No. Mrs. Henson. Mrs. Henson. No. Mr. Hoyer. Mr. Hoyer. I. Mr. Ivy. Mr. Ivy. I. Mr. Joyce. Mr. Joyce. No. Miss Captor. Miss Captor. I Mr. Loa.
▶ 11:30:46Mr. Loa. No. Miss Miss Lee. I Miss Latlo. Miss Llo. No. Mr. Levan. Mr. Lean. I Miss Mallaloy. Miss Malloy. No. Miss. McCullum. Miss. McCullum. I. Miss. Ming. Miss. Ming. I. Mr. Molinar. Mr. Molinar. No. Mr. Moore. Mr. Morelli. Mr. Morelli. I Mr. Morvan. I Mr. Murvan. I Mr. New House. Mr. New House. No, Miss Perez.
▶ 11:31:16Miss Pingri. Miss Pingri. I Mr. Pokean. Mr. Pokean. I Mr. Quigley. Mr. Quigley. I Mr. Russianthaler. Mr. Russianthaler. No. Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers. No. Mr. Ruford. Mr. Ruford. No. Mr. Simpson. Mr. Simpson. No. Mr. Strong. Mr. Strong. No. Miss Torres. Mrs. Torres. Mrs. Torres. I Miss Underwood. Miss Underwood. I Mr. Valido. Mr. Valido. No.
▶ 11:31:46Miss Wasman Schultz. Mr. Washerman Schultz. I Mrs. Watson Coleman. Mrs. Watson Coleman. I Mr. WAC. Mr. Wac. No. Mr. Zinci. Mr. Zinci. No. Are there any members wishing to cast a vote or change a vote? Gentleman from Mr. Diaz Bolard. No. Gentle lady from Connecticut. Mr. Lauro I. Gentleman from West Virginia.
▶ 11:32:18Mr. Moore. No. Are there any other members wishing to vote or change their vote? Seeing none, the clerk will tally.
▶ 11:33:06On this vote, the eyes are 26, the nose are 35. The amendment is not adopted. Gentle lady from Nevada, Miss Lee is recognized for an amendment. Uh, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I rise. I have an amendment at the desk. uh ask for unanimous consent to dis u dispense of the reading. Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentle lady is recognized for remarks on her amendment. Thank you.
▶ 11:33:36Uh I rise to offer my amendment which would do one very simple thing. Ensure that the federal government is making the best use of resource available to us to upkeep the nearly century old Hoover Dam. Right now, there is roughly $50 million collected from Hoover Dam hydro power contractors over the last quarter century sitting in an orphaned federal account.
▶ 11:34:01This money was originally collected to support postretirement benefits for Hoover employees. However, these benefits now are fully covered by the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund, stranding tens of millions of dollars contributed by the Hydropower contractors beginning in the year 2000, which can no longer be used for that purpose.
▶ 11:34:23The Hoover Dam uh hydropower community has specifically asked that the funds raised and contributed by their rateayers now be applied to the operations and the maintenance of the dam easing the financial burden both on rateayers and American taxpayers alike.
▶ 11:34:43Last Congress, I introduced a biccameal bill, the Help Hoover Gadam Act that would give the Bureau of Reclamation clear authority to recover these other inaccessible resources. Accordingly, reclamation testified in support of the bill, which passed unanimously out of both the GOPled House Natural Resources Committee and the Democratic Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
▶ 11:35:11So the authorizers unanimously approve of this. It does not require any new federal funding. The money is already there sitting in account unable to be accessed. Now the clincher is the CBO is scoring the release of these strand of funds simply because these funds would exit from an orphaned account effectively stopping legislative progress.
▶ 11:35:35And in this very unique case, contrary to the intent of a CBO score, preventing the best use of these resources, my amendment would quite simply cut through red tape to codify reclamation's authority to access these resources. Here's the bottom line.
▶ 11:35:55The Bureau of Reclamation estimates that Hoover Dam will require upwards of $200 million in major plant investment over and above the routine operation of maintenance during the next decade as the dam turns 100red years old. We have here before us a cost-free way to address 1/4 of this need.
▶ 11:36:17Republicans and Democrats on both this committee and the natural resources committee are on record in strong support of allowing reclamation to free tens of millions of dollars in funding currently locked away to help with this vital upkeep. I it would defy common sense for us to not do this, Mr. Chairman. So, I ask my colleagues to support my amendment and by extension support good government in the effective and efficient use of the resources we uh steward.
▶ 11:36:47And with that, I yield. Thank you. I thank the gentle lady. The gentleman from Tennessee, Mr. Flashman, is recognized to address the amendment. Thank you. And I thank the gentle lady from Nevada for her amendment. Um, unfortunately, uh, I must rise, uh, Mr. chairman in opposition to this amendment. I understand uh this is an important issue for my colleagues on both sides of the aisle from the lower Colorado River Basin.
▶ 11:37:17The subcommittee worked extensively to rectify the situation with these stranded funds. Unfortunately, this provision in front of us carries a significant score without an offset, bringing us um over our allocation and upsetting the balance of this and other bills.
▶ 11:37:38I understand the authorizing committee has reported identical legislation and is the appropriate venue for addressing the policy and cost impacts of the legislation. Um, so, um, it's with regret, uh, that I I have to oppose this, but I I respect your advocacy, um, for for what you're doing, and with that, I yield back. Thank the gentlemen. The gentle lady from Ohio is recognized to address the Thank you, Mr.
▶ 11:38:08Chairman. I rise in strong support of Congresswoman Lee's amendment and I'm proud of her advocacy for Nevada and this com her common sense and bipartisan amendment simply unlock stranded funds for Hoover Dam operations, maintenance and improvement projects. And if you haven't seen Hoover Dam, you've missed America. As of the end of June, every state uh in the southwest and California is experiencing some level of drought according to the US drought monitor.
▶ 11:38:38Given these conditions, Congress must reclaim every penny for related water infrastructure. And I truly commend Congresswoman Lee for sponsoring this amendment and urge adoption of it. And I yield back. Thank the gentle lady. Are there other members wishing to address the Gentleman from Nevada is recognized to address the amendment. Thank you.
▶ 11:39:05From a Nevada perspective, um first of all, I agree with everything my colleague from Nevada or Nevada, wherever she's from said, um having said that, um it makes absolute sense to do what she's asking to do. There's only one problem because I came here planning to stand up and rip the CBO to shreds even though I used to have their budget a long time ago and that sort of stuff.
▶ 11:39:33And here's why I'm not the account that is orphaned and that money is stranded in. That's absolutely correct. But it was created in law 30 years ago appropriator experts to make up for a shortfall in retirement and health benefits for people that work for the Bureau of Reclamation and for NWAPa or WA or whatever that thing is. That's not an Italian slur either, Mr.
▶ 11:40:04Um a and so um what the amendment proposed to do is entirely accurate. The problem is when the federal government when when OPM or whatever started picking up all of those benefits for those people that that account was created for, that's how it got built up. And so you say, well, why are you saying this? You said you support it, and I do. I'm saying it because the fix is a and and the committee staff has done some homework on it.
▶ 11:40:34I tried to catch up as fast as I could with them, but anyhow, it's like we need to fix it. That money should go for what she's proposing, but the fix is to to give them to to make them take the money permanently and put it in because there is an OM on and M account. No kidding. O andM account for that dam. That's where the money needs to go.
▶ 11:40:57Makes perfect sense my colleagueu's argument, but and it kills me to say this because I want it so bad to come in here and rail against uh Mr. What's his name? Yeah, there you go. Um but anyhow, uh I'm not going to say they're right because I'm not that big of a of of an individual. Um I'm trying, but I'm not going to get there.
▶ 11:41:18The fix is um however it needs to happen is the gentle lady's request needs to put that money into the nokitten O and M account and and then it's done and then we can rail against the CBO like we want to. Thank you. I yield back. I agree with the chairman. Are there other members wishing to address the amendment? I got if uh gentle lady from New Jersey is recognized to address the amendment.
▶ 11:41:50I think I'm I I I think I'm confused with some of the discussion about why we can't just do this efficiently and effectively since so much money has been spent by this administration and I put this on quotes on efficiency and effectiveness by a doge.
▶ 11:42:12I don't understand why this is not being supported when the primary issue for the money being created is no longer necessary because government accepted its responsibility there.
▶ 11:42:28So this is orphaned money and we talk about eliminating bureaucracy and steps sometimes, you know, not in terms of eligibility for Medicaid and SNAP and things of that nature, but certainly in terms of things that your agenda of of proposes and and supports.
▶ 11:42:49This makes no sense that we engage in this unnecessary bureaucracy on this issue if we can't we we we can't agree on much. So when we do, it's really enlightening and it makes me feel good. We certainly could have agreed on this one because it made sense.
▶ 11:43:12So got a chance to manifest that sensibility and that recognition for efficiency, effectiveness, and cutting unnecessary bureaucracy by voting in support of this amendment as I will. Thank you and I yield back. Thank the gentle lady. Uh the gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Wulmarmac is recognized to address the amendment. I'm just going to paraphrase what my friend Mr. Ammedday said. He just said put in the damn account.
▶ 11:43:47Are there any other members? Are there any other members who care to address the Boy, it's getting late here. I can tell. Yeah. Is there any other members uh who wish to address the amendment? If not, the uh gentle lady is recognized for one minute to close. All right. Thank you, Mr. Mr. Chairman, um I I just want to point out that one, this is a common sense solution to a problem.
▶ 11:44:17It's something that has been requested uh by stakeholders, national hydropower stakeholders, the American public power association, the National Rural Cooperative Association, as well as state and local and tribal stakeholders in Nevada, Arizona, and California. This is a request of them. And I'm just sort of curious because we were fast and loose with some of the rules when my colleague, Mr.
▶ 11:44:43Clyde, had an amendment that allowed for some questionable transferring of fees that wasn't authorized or approved by authorizers. And we were like, uh, we'll be okay with it. We'll work it out. And so this amendment actually was approved by authorizers unanimously. And so I guess I just sort of have a question of why a change in the rules. So Mr.
▶ 11:45:09Chairman, I think there is a solution to this and I would be willing to work with you and hopefully come to a solution before we bring this bill to the floor. I'd be willing to withdraw it and with the intent that we could come to a common sense solution because this is something that the rateayers paid into this. We need the money. It's there. It's it's requested. It's supported both from authorizers.
▶ 11:45:37I think people generally support the intent of this. I hope that we as a collective body can come to a solution on this. Once again, I want to commend the general lady for the amendment. I think many people on both sides of the aisle irrespective of where they come from in the country agree with you. But we just need to work out the logistics and the mechanisms so that we can try to work to get there. I will commit to continue to working with you.
▶ 11:46:06I do believe the gentleman, Mr. Amade, is absolutely factually correct. Um, but we will work with you to try to maybe get through that bureaucratic malaise. With that, I'll yield. Thank you. With that, I'll withdraw the amendment. Thank you. Excuse me. I thank the gentle lady. The amendment's withdrawn. Uh, the gentleman from California, Mr. Lean, is recognized for an amendment. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk and I ask for unanimous consent that the reading of this amendment be dispensed with.
▶ 11:46:35Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentleman is recognized for remarks on his amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to briefly repeat some facts. First, 80 million Americans in red and blue districts alike struggle to pay their utility bills, forcing them to forego basic expenses like food, education, and healthcare to keep their lights on.
▶ 11:47:00Second, we're experiencing unprecedented energy demand growth to power AI, data centers, and the onshoring of Third, as I stated earlier, clean energy is cheap energy. Clean energy sources like wind and solar are now the cheapest forms of new electricity in the United States even without subsidies.
▶ 11:47:23Fourth, China and the rest of the world understands that clean energy is cheap energy and they are charging ahead with the deployment of innovative new Fifth, clean energy is the fastest growing source of electricity, making it not only the cheapest, but the fastest way to meet new demand without facing the risk of blackouts. We all want to keep the lights on back home, right? All of you presumably do. You don't like blackouts in your state. I don't like blackouts in mine.
▶ 11:47:55Mr. Chairman, I'm just trying to get a little quiet for the gentleman. So, uh, there's a little bit of more of a buzz here than there should be. gentleman certainly can resume his remarks. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. No one wants to lose power, whether it's in the heat of summer, as we've experienced here, or in the dead of winter. And with that, let's take a look at what has happened to energy bills in the first 6 months of this new administration. They have gone up, unfortunately, by around 9%.
▶ 11:48:26All of our constituents power bills. And in executive order after executive order, this administration has cut cleaner, cheaper energy out of our national energy policy and doubled down on more expensive traditional energy. Just 10 days ago, the president issued an executive order to accelerate the phase out of clean energy tax credits, which is estimated to raise household energy costs by more than 400 bucks a year.
▶ 11:48:53On January 20, the president issued a number of executive orders blocking the buildout of wind, choking off support for solar, and propping up fossil fuels. In April, the president issued an executive order to unleash coal production, a source of energy that is dying in the free market. 99% of the existing US coal fleet is more expensive to run than replacing it with new solar or wind.
▶ 11:49:20All of these actions create uncertainty for the private sector, leading to project cancellations and job losses predominantly in your districts. My Republican colleagues, the job losses are predominantly in your districts, which drive all our bills up. So my amendment is simple. No tricks. You can read it.
▶ 11:49:42All it says is that before any executive or related secretarial secretarial order like from Secretary or Secretary Duffy or any of them can go into effect. An independent analysis by the US Energy Information Administration, the EIA, that's part of the Trump administration must confirm that that action would not raise monthly energy costs for household for households.
▶ 11:50:09Again, power bills have already increased an average of 9% since January. It's the least we can do if you care about the costs that your constituents are paying. We owe it to all of them to provide a check on runaway energy costs. That's all this amendment does. I see no reason why this shouldn't be bipartisan, why every member here wouldn't want to make sure that the actions of this or any do not raise energy prices for your constituents.
▶ 11:50:39Under this amendment, the only reason, again, the only reason any actions would be blocked is if they would raise energy prices for our constituents. Full stop. A no vote on this amendment means that you are comfortable with raising prices on your I encourage a yes vote and I yield back. Thank the gentleman. The gentleman from Tennessee, Mr.
▶ 11:51:08Fleshman is recognized to respond to the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, I respectfully rise in opposition to the amendment. Uh, this is tonight we've had a lot of very robust and good debate, but this is one of those issues that we respectfully disagree. We view this one uh in an opposite way.
▶ 11:51:30I I fervently believe that under the Biden administration, the burdensome uh locked up this energy's vast energy resources and limited the generation of reliable and affordable electricity. And I equally fervently believe that the Trump administration with his executive orders and everything that we've done uh and they've done remain focused on lowering the cost of energy.
▶ 11:51:58um basically thereby benefiting the American people. And my my friend, the gentleman from California just sees it a different way. But but the conclusion is we all want to see um our energy bills lower. We want to see abundant American dominance in energy.
▶ 11:52:17Um but this um amendment as it is would prohibit the implementation of executive orders from the president and uh I think his executive orders in this area uh ought to be upheld and give it time to work uh its good magic for the American people. So with that I urge opposition to the gentleman's amendment and I yield back. I thank the gentleman. The gentle lady from Ohio, Miss Captor, is recognized to address the amendment.
▶ 11:52:47Thank you, Mr. Chair. I rise in strong support of the Levan amendment. Uh, first of all, it protects working families from runaway energy costs. It keeps America on a growth path uh and one that's affordable. It demands a finding from the Energy Information Agency uh before implementing any order that drives up bills. Wouldn't that be good? kind of a emergency warning before your electric bills go up.
▶ 11:53:14Northwest Ohioans and people across this country can't afford new spikes in their utility rates. Uh in my hometown, families and factories already struggle under very high energy costs. This amendment puts a break on costly policy shifts. It shields households from the latest executive orders that pick winners and losers in an energy mix. and it stops partisan overreach that seeds our energy leadership to communist China.
▶ 11:53:44This amendment is common sense. It ensures that no order moves forward without proving it won't raise monthly costs for American families. Let me repeat that. The amendment is common sense. It ensures no order moves forward without proving it won't raise monthly costs for American families. Wouldn't they like that? I urge my colleagues to defend American jobs and American families and vote yes on the 11 amendment and I congratulate him for offering it and I yield back.
▶ 11:54:17I thank the gentle lady uh for her comments. Are there other members wishing to address the amendment? Seeing none, uh the gentleman is recognized for one minute to close. I didn't do it. So I No, I didn't. No, I didn't. I I respectfully disagree uh Mr. Chairman, with my my dear friend, Mr. Flechman. These are the facts. Under the past administration, energy costs began to fall.
▶ 11:54:47The inflation reduction act provided tax credits for rooftop solar, heat pumps, electric vehicles, home efficiency, lowering utility bills,