Ed Pastor

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment, and I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lofgren).

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment. The underlying bill contains no funds for the housing trust fund, yet the gentleman's amendment would create a prohibition on using funds that don't exist in the bill. This is simply a messaging amendment that has no practical purpose. I oppose the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. PASTOR of Arizona asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased that we are beginning consideration of H.R. 4745, the fiscal year 2015 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. I also want to thank Chairman Latham for his work on this bill. He has been a good friend throughout the years and has been a great chairman over these last few years on this subcommittee. I really have enjoyed his friendship. I enjoy working with him, and I thank him for all the courtesies he has extended to me. I also want to thank the staff--the staff on the majority and the staff on the minority side. They have worked well together over these last few months to bring this bill on the floor. On paper, this bill appears to be nearly $1.2 billion higher than the fiscal year 2014 enacted level. However, the sharp differences between OMB and CBO on the receipt estimates for the FHA loan program mean that this bill is actually $1.8 billion lower--lower than the FY 2014 bill. As a result, many programs are frozen at last year's level. Deep cuts were made to Amtrak, cuts were made to grants for new transit systems, HUD's HOME program, and HUD's program to reduce the hazards of lead and other household toxins have been reduced. On a positive note, the bill addresses many of the important safety functions of the Department of Transportation. For example, this bill provides strong funding for the programs and activities of the Federal Aviation Administration. It will allow the FAA to continue to hire and train new controllers that were lost due to sequestration. The bill also ensures that the FAA will be able to continue to make important investments to modernize our aging air traffic control system. With regard to housing programs, the Community Development Block Grants program is adequately funded, and the chairman has worked to ensure that tenants in assisted housing can retain their housing. The administration's Statement of Administration Policy makes it clear that this bill needs improvement before President Obama will sign it into law. As we consider the bill over the next few days, I hope that we can prevent further cuts to important transportation and housing programs, and I also hope that we can defeat legislative provisions that will only weaken this bill's chances for enactment. Finally, Mr. Chairman, I would like to point out to my colleagues that the Senate allocation for this bill is nearly $2.4 billion higher than this bill. I hope that we are able to consider this bill quickly, so we can go to conference with the Senate to produce a bill that we can all support. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Chairman Rogers for his kind words. We have worked together for many years, and over those years, we have been able to do appropriations bills and also developed a great friendship. Thank you, Chairman Rogers. I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey).

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Chair, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment. I agree with the chairman that DOD, Department of Defense, has the primary responsibility, and FAA would be a partner in that venture. We also agree that the reduction of salaries and expenses below the FY 2014 level--we don't know what consequences it would have, possibly RIFs or layoffs, and so for that reason, I ask opposition to the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman's amendment would strike a provision that has been carried in every Transportation appropriations bill since 2009. Section 102 simply grants the Secretary or his representatives the authority to engage in activities with States and State legislators to consider proposals related to the reduction of motorcycle fatalities. In 2012, there were nearly 5,000 motorcycle fatalities, which represented an increase of more than 7 percent over the previous year. The research and expertise of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration can be extremely helpful to State highway traffic safety agencies as they consider measures to improve motorcycle safety. We ought to provide any resource necessary to help States address this important safety issue. I urge my colleagues to oppose the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment, and I would tell my colleague and friend, the Congressman from Georgia, that harsh is more than mild, in what you want to do. I know that you and I want to continue to have constituents take the ``Midnight Train to Georgia,'' and I can't support your amendment. I will tell you, Mr. Chairman, that I don't do Amtrak because we have just a few lines in Arizona, but I understand that Amtrak is very important to the Northeast and other parts of the country. In my opinion, this is the Nation's railroad line. We need to improve it. I am for that. This amendment would not improve it. It would eliminate it. I am in opposition to this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, we are also in opposition to the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, I also rise in opposition to this amendment. As you know, Mr. Chairman, recently they have announced that we are slowly still recovering from the Great Recession, and we still have a large number of people who are underemployed or unemployed. The reality is that the reform that my friend from Ohio would like to bring in section 8 housing will not occur by these cuts, as pointed out by the chairman. We believe that what this amendment would do is it would evict over 150,000 people from their homes. It would have an effect on the homeless veterans and reduce their assistance. The reality is today that over half of the residents who live in section 8 are families with children, and so the consequences of this amendment are too dire, and we can't support it, so I rise in opposition to the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. I also rise in opposition. As the chairman has outlined, both funds are either underfunded or at the same level, and the consequence of additional cuts will probably cause many, many individuals who qualify for public housing to either leave public housing or not be able then to enter. For those reasons, we oppose the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, while I support the intention of the amendment--I am a supporter of CDBG--the program that the Member seeks to increase is one that is worthwhile and successful, and if we had a better allocation, we would have provided more for CDBG. However, I must rise in opposition to the amendment because of the offset. It is my hope that we can improve the funding levels of this bill as we conference with the Senate. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, I would tell my colleague from Georgia: if there is one line item in this bill that has bipartisan support in terms of keeping the program and funding it at this level, this is it. So I would tell him that even I, because of the bipartisan agreement, that I would rise in opposition to his amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.