Housing, transportation programs get $67.4 billion

A House subcommittee approved Thursday a fiscal 2011 $67.4 billion bill, $500 million below last year's level.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approved the measure that is $1.3 billion below the White House's request. This is the sixth bill approved in the past two weeks. 

Republicans expressed concern over the total cost of the measure and lack of significant cuts in spending. 

"The $500 million reduction in this legislation is a drop in the bucket of where we need to go to bring this bill back into a reasonable state," said subcommittee ranking member Tom Latham (R-Iowa). "We need to reduce the spending in this bill, save the taxpayers a few dollars and bring some transparency to the bureaucratic operations of these departments."

Under the bill, the Federal Aviation Administration would receive $16.5 billion for operations, capital, research and airport grant programs. A total of $1.16 billion would go toward the NextGen program, a satellite-based air traffic control system. 

For transportation initiatives, the bill provides $45.2 billion for the Federal Highway Administration, an increase of $3.9 billion above the White House request.

Public transportation programs stand to get $11.3 billion, $508 million above President Barack Obama's request, with an aim to deal with a nationwide maintenance backlog for fixed guideway and bus systems.

For Housing and Urban Development, the bill includes $19.5 billion for Section 8 tenant-based rental assistance, $886 million above last year to renew all vouchers in use. The funding will provide 10,000 new vouchers for homeless veterans through the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program, which is funded at $75 million.

The measure includes $825 million in funding housing for the elderly, $300 million for people with disabilities, restoring cuts proposed in the budget request of $551 million and $210 million, respectively. 

It also provides $200 million for HOPE VI — a $65 million increase over fiscal 2010 — a program providing grants to rehabilitate severely distressed public housing.

Homeless Assistance grants get $2.1 billion for permanent and transitional housing for homeless families and individuals.

The measure also includes $150 million for a Sustainable Communities Initiative for HUD, the Transportation Department and Environmental Protection Agency to work on providing better combined housing and transportation options. 

Another $1.43 billion goes to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

A total of $3.2 billion is provided for Amtrak.