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Staff Contact: Brad Watson (x69719) November 14, 2007

**Appropriations Policy Brief**

**H.R. 3074 Conference Report---FY 2008 Transportation, Housing and
Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act**

[**Earmarks:**]{.underline}

The [Joint Explanatory
Statement](http://www.rules.house.gov/110/text/110_hr3074txt.pdf) lists
more than 2,000 earmarks. This includes 21 that were
"airdropped"---earmarks that were not passed by either House of
Congress.

**[Items of Note]{.underline}:**

**Federal Highway, Administrative Expenses:**  Increases the limitation
on administrative expenses from \$361 million in FY 2007 to \$377
million in FY 2008---an increase of \$16 million or 4.4 percent compared
to last year.

**Amtrak, Operating Grants:** \$475 million---\$15.5 million below FY
2007 and \$475 million more than the President's request.

**Amtrak, Capital and Debt Service Grants:** \$900 million---\$128
million or 17 percent more than FY 2007 and \$400 million or 80 percent
more than the President's request.

**Tenant-Based Rental Assistance:** \$16.4 billion---\$509 million or
3.2 percent more than FY 2007 and \$443 million or 2.8 percent above the
President's request.

**Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant:** \$9 million---\$300,000 more
than FY 2007 and \$3.1 million or 53 percent more than the President's
request. This federal program provides Native Hawaiians federal housing
block grant funds for construction or reconstruction of affordable
housing, down payment and closing cost assistance, direct lending or
interest subsidies, housing counseling, tenant-based rental assistance
and safety activities. Some conservatives may be concerned that Native
Hawaiians are a racial group, not a tribe, and that dispensing benefits
to them would likely be subject to strict scrutiny in Federal courts.
Providing additional housing assistance to this group is not only
duplicative of numerous current federal housing programs available to
all individuals, but is also likely unconstitutional. The FY 2007 RSC
budget proposed to eliminate this program.

**Community Development Fund:** \$4 billion---\$228 million or 6 percent
more than FY 2007 and \$1 billion or 32 percent more than the
President's request.

**Federal Aviation Administration (FAA):** \$8.8 billion---\$400 million
or 5 percent more than FY 2007. The FAA is responsible for managing U.S.
air transportation. Numerous Government Accountability Office studies
have outlined inefficiencies at FAA including impractical hiring
practices, security weaknesses that threatened the confidentiality of
FAA systems, poor management controls over enforcing safety regulations,
and ineffective computer security. In addition, the FAA's recent
attempts to modernize operations have cost billions of dollars and
provided very little results. Several countries, including Canada, have
privatized air traffic control operations, which produces significant
government savings and a much more efficient operation. The FY 2007 RSC
budget would have privatized FAA programs beginning in FY 2010.

**Minnesota Bridge:** Includes \$195 million for repair and
reconstruction of the collapsed bridge in Minnesota. Legislation
authorizing this appropriation passed the House on August 1, 2007.

**Public Access to Budget Information:** Section 193 of the bill (p. 79)
prevents the public from receiving access to budget justifications until
May 31^st^ (approximately four months after the President's budget is
submitted to Congress). Instead, this provision in the bill limits
access to this information to the Appropriations Committee. RSC Chairman
Jeb Hensarling sent a
[letter](http://www.house.gov/hensarling/rsc/doc/bolton_letter_2-06.pdf)
last year to OMB Director Bolten noting the importance of making this
information available.

**[Funding Summaries]{.underline}:**

*In Thousands*

  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------- ----------------- ----------------- ------------- --------------- ----------- -------------
                                                                                                     **FY 2007**       **FY 2008**       **FY 2008**       **Conf vs**   **Conf vs**     **Conf vs** **Conf vs**

                                                                                                     **Enacted**       **Request**       **Conf**          **FY 2007**   **Request**     **FY 2007** **Request**

  **Transportation Department**                                                                      **11,361,834 **   **12,168,952 **   **11,875,233 **   **766,743**   ** -293,719**   **6.7% **   **-2.4% **

  Office of the Secretary\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....               170,737           96,314            158,786           -11,951       62,472          -7.0%       64.9%

  *Salaries and Expenses\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....*               84,553            96,197            93,782            9,229         -2,415          10.9%       -2.5%

  *Minority Business Resource Center Program\...\...\...\....*                                       893               891               893               \-\-\--       -2              0.0%        -0.2%

  *Minority Business Outreach\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....*                     2,970             2,970             2,970             \-\-\--       \-\-\--         0.0%        0.0%

  *Office of Civil Rights\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....*          8,528             9,141             9,141             613           \-\-\--         7.2%        0.0%

  Federal Aviation Administration\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....                           8,374,217         0                 8,750,000         375,783       8,750,000       4.5%        \-\-\--

  *Facilities & Equipment\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...*               2,516,920         0                 2,527,284         10,364        2,527,284       0.4%        \-\-\--

  *Research, Engineering, and Development\...\...\...\...\....*                                      130,234           140,000           147,000           16,766        7,000           12.9%       5.0%

  *Grants-in-Aid for Airports\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....*                 3,489,500         2,750,000         3,329,000         160,500       579,000         4.6%        21.1%

  Federal Highway Administration, Total\...\...\...\...\...\...\...                                  36,255,245        37,914,630        38,766,383        2,511,138     851,758         6.9%        2.2%

  Federal Motor Carrier Safety Admin., Total\...\...\...\.....                                       517,000           528,000           479,177           -37,823       -48.823         -7.3%       -9.2%

  National Highway Traffic Safety Admin., Total\...\.....                                            587,750           599,250           576,404           -11,346       22,846          -1.9%       3.8%

  Federal Railroad Administration, Total\...\...\...\...\...\...\....                                1,478,345         1,071,722         1,656,473         178,128       584,751         12.0%       54.6%

  Federal Transit Administration, Total\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....                                85,000            89,300            89,300            4,300         \-\-\--         5.1%        0.0%

  Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation\....                                                 16,223            17,392            17,392            1,169         \-\-\--         7.2%        0.0%

  Maritime Administration\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....                   214,437           295,366           306,767           92,330        11,401          43.1%       3.9%

  Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Admin\...\.....                                            134,024           148,219           154,464           20,440        6,245           15.3%       4.2%

  Surface Transportation Board\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...                       25,063            21,835            25,075            12            3,240           0.0%        14.8%

  Research and Innovative Technology Admin\...\...\...\...                                           7,736             12,000            12,000            4,264         \-\-\--         55.1%       0.0%

  **Housing and Urban Development Department**                                                        36,213,245        35,597,019        38,659,409        2,446,164     3,062,390       8.6%        8.6%

  Tenant-based Rental Assistance\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...                         15,920,000        16,000,000        16,443,000        523,000       443,000         3.3%        2.8%

  Native American Housing Block Grants\...\...\...\...\...\...\...                                   623,700           626,965           630,000           6,300         3,035           1.0%        0.5%

  Indian Housing Loan Guarantee Fund \...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...                                6,000             7,450             7,450             1,450         \-\-\--         24.2%       0.0%

  Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....                                  8,727             5,940             9,000             273           3,060           3.1%        51.5%

  Housing Opportunities for Persons with Aids\...\...\...\....                                       286,110           300,100           300,100           13,990        \-\-\--         4.9%        0.0%

  Rural Housing and Economic Development\...\...\...\...\...                                         16,830            0                 17,000            170           17,000          1.0%        \-\-\--

  Community Development Block Grants/Fund\...\...\...\...                                            3,771,900         3,036,570         4,000,000         228,100       963,430         6.0%        31.7%

  Brownfields\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...    9,900             0                 10,000            100           10,000          1.0%        \-\-\--

  Home Investment Partnerships Program\...\...\...\...\...\....                                      1,757,250         1,966,640         1,767,000         9,750         -199,640        0.6%        10.2%

  Homeless Assistance Grants\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...                     1,441,600         1,585,990         1,585,990         144,390       \-\-\--         10.0%       0.0%

  Self-Help Homeownership Program...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...                                 49,390            69,700            60,000            10,610        -9,700          21.5%       -13.9%

  Housing for the Elderly\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...                734,580           575,000           735,000           420           160,000         0.0%        27.8%

  Housing for Persons with Disabilities\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....                             236,610           125,000           237,000           390           112,000         0.2%        89.6%

  Housing Counseling Assistance\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....                         0                 50,000            0                 \-\-\--       -50,000         \-\-\--     -100.0%

  Rental Housing Assistance...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....                     26,136            27,600            27,600            1,464         \-\-\--         5.6%        0.0%

  Research and Technology\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...                    50,087            65,040            61,440            11,353        -3,600          22.7%       -5.5%

  Fair Housing Activities\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....               45,540            45,000            50,000            4,460         5,000           9.8%        11.1%

  **Independent Agencies**                                                                            223,289           233,592           434,671           211,382       -201,079        94.6%       -86.1%

  Architectural and Transportation Barriers................                                          5,915             6,150             6,150             235           \-\-\--         4.0%        0.0%

  Federal Maritime Commission\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....                       20,428            22,322            22,072            1,644         -250            8.0%        -1.2%

  National Transportation Safety Board\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....                             79,338            83,000            84,499            5,161         -1,499          6.5%        -1.8%

  Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation\...\...\...\...\...\.....                                    116,820           119,800           319,800           202,980       200,000         173.8%      166.9%

  United States Interagency Council on                                                               1,788             2,320             2,150             362           -170            20.2%       -7.3%
  Homelessness\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...                                                                                                   
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------- ----------------- ----------------- ------------- --------------- ----------- -------------

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