Date: 2014-05-30
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise to speak on the Rule for H.R. 4681. the "Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2014." and H.R. 4745. the "Transportation. Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2015. H.R. 4681 is a bill authorizing appropriations for our nations intelligence agencies for Fiscal Year 2014 through Fiscal Year 2015. The bill provides funds for the conduct of intelligence and intelligencerelated activities. H.R. 4745 makes appropriations for the Departments of Transportation. and Housing and Urban Development. and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30. 2015. Our nation is long past due for a Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill. This bill is about jobsjobsjobs. Unfortunately. H.R. 4745s $17.1. billion in discretionary appropriations for the Department of Transportation for fiscal year 2015. is $727.3 million below the funding for fiscal year 2014. Included in the legislation is $15.7 billion in total budgetary resources for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). which is $7.3 million below the fiscal year 2014 enacted level and $446 million above the request. This will provide full funding for all air traffic control personnel. including 14.800 air traffic controllers. 7.300 safety inspectors. and operational support personnel. The bill also fully funds the FAAs Next Generation Air Transportation Systems (NextGen) at $852.4 million. and funds Contract Towers at $140 million. These investments will help ease future congestion and help reduce delays for travelers in U.S. airspace. The Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport will benefit from funding provided under this bill: nearly 40 million passengers traveled through Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and an additional 10 million traveled through William P. Hobby (HOU). more than 650 daily departures occur at IAH. IAH is the llth busiest airport in the U.S. for total passenger traffic. IAH has 12 allcargo airlines handles more than 419.205 metric tons of cargo in 2012. The funds being sent back to states will repair critical transportation infrastructure that is vital to local. state and the national economy. Further the bill provides for funding for our Nations housing and urban development programs that fund block grants. special housing programs that serve our Nations elderly. young. disabled. and veterans. The legislation includes a total of $40.3 billion for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. a decrease of $769 million below the fiscal year 2014 enacted level and $2 billion below the Administrations request. The bill does not contain funding for any new. unauthorized "sustainable." "livable." or "green" community development programs. Affordable safe housing is vital to the wellbeing of elderly. lowwage workers. the unemployed. underemployed. disabled persons and our Nations veterans. In 2012. Texas ranked second among the 50 states among states with workers earning at or below the federal minimum wage. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. of the 6.1 million workers paid hourly rates in Texas in 2012. 282.000 earned exactly the prevailing federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. while 170.000 earned less. In the State of Texas the percentage of persons living in poverty makes the funds provided for housing and mass transit systems including light rail critical: 34% of children live in poverty. 21% of adults (1964) live in poverty. and 17% of elderly live in poverty. The funds provided will make it possible for low wage workers to have affordable options for travel as well as support access to affordable housing.