House GOP pushes bill to drastically cut funding for Transportation Department following intense markup.
Republican Appropriators Approve Bill to Cut Spending for Department of Transportation and Reject Biden’s Budget Proposals for Department of Housing and Urban Development
Republican appropriators made a significant move on Tuesday evening by approving a bill that aims to cut spending for the Department of Transportation (DOT) and reject many of President Joe Biden’s budget proposals for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This decision was met with both support and opposition.
The bill, which passed out of the full House Appropriations Committee by a vote of 34-27, allocates a discretionary total of nearly $90.3 billion to fund the two departments and related agencies. However, this amount falls short of Biden’s request by more than $8.5 billion.
Reduced Budgets and Funding Priorities
The bill includes a reduction of approximately $7.2 billion for DOT compared to last year’s enacted budget. On the other hand, it provides $8 billion more for HUD than fiscal 2023, although it still falls $2.4 billion below Biden’s desired funding level.
Additionally, the bill blocks funding for various diversity, equity, and inclusion-related initiatives, including the use of federal funds to promote critical race theory.
“This bill is another example of the real progress we are making to reduce overall spending while funding our highest priorities,” stated committee Chairwoman Kay Granger (R-TX) at the beginning of the markup. “Instead of giving the administration more grant funding to spend, this bill gets us back to funding core missions.”
Challenges and Controversies
Congress faces a deadline of September 30 to pass all 12 appropriations bills. However, the bill’s journey may face considerable challenges in the Democratic-controlled Senate, which is working on its own versions of the appropriations bills.
During the markup, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies subcommittee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) highlighted that the bill reduces spending by 25% compared to fiscal 2023 levels and slashes 19 grant programs.
However, the hearing quickly descended into chaos when Cole introduced an amendment that sparked controversy. The amendment aimed to block the display of the “gay pride” flag at department and agency buildings and prevent the government from funding centers that offer transgender medical procedures.
Democrats strongly opposed the amendment, with some representatives even resorting to name-calling. Reps. Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) referred to their Republican colleagues as “bigots” and “terrorists,” respectively.
Committee Chairwoman Granger had to recess the committee multiple times to address the heated exchanges and requested that the offensive words be stricken from the record. Eventually, Cole’s amendment passed with a vote of 32-26.
Blocking Progressive Wish List Items
Republicans also successfully blocked several Democratic attempts to include progressive wish list items in the bill. These included climate initiatives, funding for the California High-Speed Rail project, and further diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and critical race theory initiatives.
The bill will now proceed to the full House for passage. However, it is expected to face significant challenges in the Democratic-controlled Senate, where alternative versions of the appropriations bills are being developed.
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