David Price

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for those remarks. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Massie).

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I ask that we observe a moment of silence.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I send to the desk a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H.R. 648, legislation to reopen and responsibly fund the government, including the Departments of Transportation and of Housing and Urban Development. This bill reflects the various conference agreements that were reached on a bipartisan, bicameral basis late last year. The chairman at the time of our Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, my friend, Mr. Diaz-Balart, was an excellent partner through this process. We worked together with our Senate counterparts to secure numerous priorities in the final package that spoke to the good work done in both the House and Senate. Unfortunately, the House and Senate leadership failed to bring this legislation to the floor before the end of the 115th Congress, despite unified Republican control of the branches of government. They failed in September, and they failed again in December in the lame-duck session. But, now, we do have a chance to rectify that mistake. Division F of H.R. 648 funds DOT, HUD, and related agencies. It includes $71.1 billion in discretionary funding, which is $23.1 billion above the President's budget request and $1 billion above the fiscal year 2018 enacted level. This total includes more than $17 billion for new housing and transportation infrastructure. It includes billions of dollars of funding above the authorized level to accelerate improvements in our aviation system, expand transit and rail networks, replace aging highways and bridge infrastructure, and make improvements at our Nation's ports. The measure also includes robust funding to preserve and expand our affordable housing stock, particularly for vulnerable populations like veterans, seniors, and the disabled. It locks in increases to flexible grant programs like Community Development Block Grants and HOME that are vital for local governments as they address housing and community development needs. Just as important, this legislation would finally re-open DOT and HUD and allow more than 20,000 furloughed employees of these departments to receive backpay and to return to their mission serving the American people. In the last 3 weeks, the House has passed short-term continuing resolutions to keep government open and allow more time to negotiate, but that wasn't good enough for the President. We have taken up funding legislation passed by the Senate almost unanimously, and that wasn't good enough for Mitch McConnell to get to yes. Today we have the opportunity to fully fund the government with a package that reflects bicameral and bipartisan priorities. It is time for Republicans and President Trump to finally take yes for an answer. The Trump shutdown has dragged on for more than a month, shuttering vital government services and creating chaos and uncertainty for families, businesses, and communities. The President has taken DOT hostage, and the strain on our aviation system is growing worse each day. The President has taken HUD hostage, and housing contracts have lapsed putting tenants in jeopardy. H.R. 648 would finally end the hostage-taking. It would ensure that vital transportation and housing programs are funded for the rest of this year. Meanwhile, a separate bill would temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security so that negotiations on border security could continue. H.R. 648 is the result of months of bipartisan collaboration. It excludes problematic policy riders from both sides of the aisle. We should pass this bill and re-open our government. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense approach and re-open the government without further delay.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Chair, I rise in support of this legislation, to provide $12 billion in critical disaster relief for North Carolina and other States recovering from devastating natural disasters. Last year, Hurricane Florence made landfall in the Carolinas with a powerful storm surge, intense rainfall, and massive flooding. It displaced thousands of individuals, many of whom still have not returned to their damaged homes. Dozens of communities in eastern North Carolina, some also hit by Hurricane Matthew in 2016, were entirely inundated for the second time in as many years. Meanwhile, other States like Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and California have been hit by terrible hurricanes and wildfires. Puerto Rico and other territories continue to slowly recover from powerful storms and typhoons. This legislation will ensure that the Federal Government remains an active partner in the recovery effort. It provides more than $1 billion in flexible funding for the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program, including resources for mitigation and resiliency projects. The bill would clear out a $1.5 billion backlog of emergency highway and bridge repair projects, and it provides additional supplemental funds for Army Corps construction projects along our coasts and rivers, crop and livestock assistance for farmers, repairs at damaged military installations, and other critical recovery activities. It reflects bipartisan priorities and ensures that American citizens, regardless of where they live, get the assistance they need to recover. Unfortunately, disaster assistance, including funds that have already been appropriated, will not be distributed to communities if this government shutdown continues. Madam Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this disaster supplemental, which appropriately includes a provision to temporarily reopen government. The Trump shutdown has real consequences, Madam Chairman. The people of North Carolina and other States who have suffered from natural disasters cannot wait any longer. It is time for Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, to come together to end this shutdown.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Chair, the National Environmental Policy Act was first enacted in 1970, and since then, it has ensured that new projects comply with environmental standards that protect both human health and the environment. It is unwise and unnecessary to waive these requirements as we undertake disaster recovery. This amendment is particularly troubling when we consider that the loss of wetlands has actually contributed, contributed heavily, to an increase in coastal flooding from hurricanes. A 2017 study led by the University of California Santa Cruz showed a strong correlation between wetland cover and reduced property damage. The study estimated that wetlands in New York and New Jersey prevented a half a billion dollars in flood-related damage. So our public policy should aim to reduce the impacts of future disasters, which is why this bill contains more than $800 million in mitigation funding. To allow the Secretary to waive environmental requirements would undermine the principle that disaster recovery efforts should ensure communities are in a better position to withstand future natural disasters. Also, many disaster recovery projects involve multiple Federal funding sources. This provision actually could slow down recovery efforts, since HUD's environmental standards would no longer match those of other Federal agencies. If we are going to get serious about mitigating the effects of climate change and the impacts of natural disasters, we need a robust environmental framework, and for 49 years, NEPA has provided that guidance. This bill is not the place to discard decades of environmental protections. I urge a ``no'' vote on the amendment. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Chair, we have no objection to this amendment, in fact, urge its adoption. The amendment ensures that States and territories that have suffered from natural disasters in 2017 are made whole with respect to increased costs to repair public infrastructure.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Chair, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition, even though I am not actually opposed to the amendment.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Chair, this amendment amends a section of the base bill that sets out the sequence of assistance for communities seeking relief. The base bill maintains that CDBG-DR funding should be used after grantees sought out funding from FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers to meet any needs that remain. Public Law 105-276 limits the use of CDBG-DR funding to $250,000 per Army Corps of Engineers' project, and this provision would not be changed by the amendment. The amendment would allow communities to utilize CDBG-DR funds for a project in advance of FEMA or Corps of Engineers' funding. The CDBG-DR funding would still be subject to the usual limitations on duplication of benefits. I have some concern that the amendment's language is ambiguous with respect to the phrase ``in excess of the authorized amount of the project.'' I assume that the gentleman means the authorized amount by FEMA or the Army Corps, respectively, and not an amount authorized by HUD. I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Graves), if he would respond and confirm my understanding.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. The question, though, is: Authorized by whom?

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. So when the amendment states the phrase ``in excess of the authorized amount of the project,'' can I confirm that the gentleman is saying that he means the authorized amount by FEMA or the Army Corps and not the authorized amount by HUD? Madam Chair, I yield to the gentleman.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman. Given that understanding, the amendment is a modest change to the existing program, and I have no objection. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I am happy to express support for his amendment. The amendment would clarify that HUD should follow existing law when it comes to duplication of benefits with respect to SBA loans and CDBG- DR grants. This is an issue that needs clarification. It has affected individuals in my home State of North Carolina as well as people in Louisiana, Texas, and other States recovering from recent disasters. I agree, we shouldn't be penalizing individuals who take out an SBA loan in good faith and then later discover that that makes them no longer eligible for a CDBG-DR grant. So I thank the gentleman for the amendment. It is a helpful clarification of our intent, and I have no objection to the amendment.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 28, I call up the bill (H.R. 267) making appropriations for the Department of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 267, legislation to reopen and responsibly fund the Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development. The bill before us is bipartisan and invests in critical national priorities. It passed the Senate Appropriations Committee on a unanimous vote, and it was adopted by the full Senate on a 92-6 vote. It provides $71.4 billion in discretionary funding, which is $23.3 billion above the President's budget request and $1.1 billion above the FY 2018 enacted level. This legislation is critical for the success of America's families, communities, and businesses. In addition to maintaining existing infrastructure, it will allocate $17 billion for new transportation and housing projects in both rural and urban areas. Like last year, it includes several billion dollars of funding above authorized levels for the FAST Act to accelerate improvements in our aviation system, to expand transit and rail networks, to replace aging highways and bridge infrastructure, and to repair our affordable housing stock. It also builds on the progress we have made since enactment of the 2018 bipartisan budget agreement to ensure that vulnerable populations--including low-income families, seniors, veterans, and the disabled--have access to reliable transportation and safe housing. It would provide robust funding for flexible grant programs, especially HOME and Community Development Block Grants, that allow towns and cities across the country, large and small, to leverage both public and private capital to address their most pressing community needs. Just as important, this legislation would finally reopen these departments. It would allow more than 20,000 furloughed employees at DOT and over 7,000 furloughed employees at HUD to receive back pay and to return to their mission, which is serving the American people. The Trump shutdown, Mr. Speaker, has dragged on for more than 2 weeks, shuttering vital government services and creating chaos and uncertainty for families, businesses, and communities in each of our districts. For example, grants to help States and communities pay for upgrades to transit, rail, and aviation facilities are being put on hold. State departments of transportation are beginning to delay new construction projects. The National Transportation Safety Board has ceased major accident investigations. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is no longer investigating or reviewing information about major vehicle manufacturing defects, which, in fact, puts lives at risk. New hiring and training for air traffic controllers has ground to a halt, exacerbating an ongoing staffing shortage. FAA equipment maintenance is curtailed, and pilot certifications are suspended. Disaster relief funding for States hit by disasters last year-- funding that has already been appropriated--remains unallocated because staff at HUD remain furloughed. Meanwhile, Mr. Speaker, we discovered just this weekend that HUD officials failed to renew more than 1,000 landlord contracts for the Project-Based Section 8 housing program before they expired at the end of the year, exposing tens of thousands of tenants to possible eviction. Mr. Speaker, these problems can only get worse as the shutdown goes on. Hundreds more of these contracts are up for renewal in the coming months. H.R. 267 would put an end to the madness, ensuring that vital transportation and housing infrastructure is funded for the remainder of the 2019 fiscal year. This legislation reflects the best of bipartisan collaboration, and it excludes problematic policy riders from both sides of the aisle. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan, commonsense legislation to reopen the government without further delay, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Mario Diaz-Balart, our ranking member and former chairman of this subcommittee, for those kind words--a sentiment that I share totally. And we, I am sure, are going to be able to continue this cooperative relationship in this new Congress, and I look forward to that. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey), our full committee chairwoman.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Quigley), a member of our subcommittee and the chairman-designate of the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio), the chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler), the chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Clark), a member of our subcommittee.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Ms. Sherrill), a new Member of the House.