The House is scheduled to begin consideration of H.R. 5850, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD), and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of FY 2010 on Thursday, July 29, 2010, under a rule. A complete summary of the amendments made in order will be released shortly.
FY 2011 THUD Discretionary Appropriations Totals (In Millions) | ||||||
FY 2010 | President's Request | H.R. 5850 | H.R. 5850 vs. FY 2010 | H.R. 5850 vs. Request | Change vs. FY 2010 | Change vs. FY 2010 |
67,900 | 68,738 | 67,400 | -500 | -1,338 | -0.7% | -1.97% |
H.R. 5850 contains a total of $67.4 billion in discretionary spending, a decrease of $500 million from FY 2010 and $1.3 billion below the president’s request.
H.R. 5850 provides $20.3 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Transportation, which includes the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, and the Federal Transit Administration. The bill also provides $46.6 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, including funds for Public and Indian Housing, Community Planning and Development programs, and the Federal Housing Administration. Nearly all of these federal agencies have received substantial funding increases in the last two years which would essentially be locked in by the funding levels of H.R. 5850.
Sustaining Record Spending Increases: While this bill represents a very slight decrease from last year, it’s important to note that the FY 2010 THUD appropriations bill increased spending by $13 billion or 23 percent over FY 2009. H.R. 5850 locks-in the current level of record breaking spending from FY 2010 at a time when our nation faces an unprecedented $1.47 deficit and $13 trillion national debt. In addition, agencies receiving funding from the Transportation and Housing and Urban Development appropriation already received an additional $61.8 billion in emergency spending last year, primarily from the “stimulus.”
Earmarks: On March 11, 2010, the House Republican Conference voted to adopt a unilateral moratorium on all earmarks, effective immediately. The Republican moratorium has had a substantial effect on reducing the overall number and cost of earmarks in the bill and increasing spending transparency. The FY 2011 contains 459 earmarks—454 of which were requested by Democrats. According to Citizens Against Government Waste, the FY 2010 THUD appropriations bill contained 1,789 earmarks totaling $1.5 billion. Including the FY 2011 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations, the House will vote on bills this week containing 985 earmarks, only six of which are sponsored by Republicans.
Advanced Appropriations: H.R. 5850 provides $4.4 billion in advanced appropriations for Tenant-Based Rental Assistance in FY 2012. Advanced appropriations count against the budget cap for the year in which they become available—FY 2012 in this case—but not in the year the appropriation is made. As such, advanced appropriations are often employed as a budgetary “gimmick” to hide dramatic increases in spending in later years.
The following is a summary of the spending highlights and other provisions in the bill.
TITLE I—Department of Transportation
The Department of Transportation (DOT) receives $20.35 billion in discretionary spending, a decrease of $1 billion or 5 percent from FY 2010. DOT received $48 billion in emergency supplemental funding in FY 2010, including $27.5 billion for highway investments and $9.3 billion for the Federal Railroad Administration from the “stimulus.” The bill also sets obligation limitations on mandatory contract authority at $59 billion, bringing DOT’s total budgetary resources for FY 2011 to $79.4 billion, an increase of $5 billion over FY 2010.
Federal Highway Administration: Provides the Federal Highway Administration with authority to expend up to $45.2 billion collected from the Highway Trust Fund (HTF). This is an increase of $3.8 billion or 10 percent over FY 2010.
FAA: Provides $13 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), an increase of $550 million or 4 percent above FY 2010.
Federal Railroad Administration: Provides $3.5 billion for the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), a decrease of $872 million or 19 percent from FY 2010. While this represents a decrease from last year, the FRA received an increase of $2.5 billion or more than 100 percent between FY 2009 and FY 2010. The FRA also received $9.3 billion in emergency supplemental funding in FY 2009, including $8 billion in high-speed rail in the “stimulus” bill.
Amtrak: Includes $1.76 billion for Amtrak, an increase of $183 million or 12 percent over the FY 2010 discretionary funding level. Amtrak is a program that has repeatedly failed to be competitive and continues to need federal subsidies to cover operating losses and capital costs. According to the National Railroad Corporation, Amtrak lost nearly $500 million in 2009. In addition, the so-called “stimulus” bill contained $1.3 billion for Amtrak. According to the Congressional Research Service, “It [Amtrak] runs a deficit each year, and requires federal assistance to cover operating losses and capital investment. Without a yearly federal grant to cover operating losses, Amtrak would not survive as presently configured.”
D.C. Metro: Contains $150 million in appropriations for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to conduct capital improvements on their train system. This represents the maximum appropriation possible under legislation passed in the 110th Congress to provide the system with $1.5 billion in federal aid over ten years for local train improvements.
TITLE II—Department of housing and urban development
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) receives $46.6 billion in discretionary spending in FY 2010, an increase of $1 billion or 1.2 percent over FY 2010. Between FY 2009 and FY 2010, HUD received a discretionary spending increase of 13 percent. This includes $4 billion in advanced funding that was expended in FY 2010 and an additional $4.4 billion which will be expended in FY 2012. Programs funding through HUD received another $13.6 billion in emergency appropriations in FY 2009. Advanced appropriations count against the budget cap for the year in which they become available but not in the year the appropriation is made. As such, advanced appropriations are often employed as a budgetary "gimmick" to hide spending in later years.
Management and Administration: Provides $2 billion for HUD management and administration, an increase of $147 million or 8 percent over FY 2010.
Tenant-Based Rental Assistance: Provides $19.5 billion for the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance program, an increase of $1.2 billion or 7 percent over FY 2010. Between FY 2009 and FY 2010 funding for Tenant-based Rental Assistance increased by $1.4 billion or 8.3 percent. This program also receives $4.4 billion in advanced appropriations from previous years and includes an additional $4.4 billion in advanced appropriations for FY 2012.
Native Hawaiian Loan Guarantees and Block Grants: Provides $1 million for the Native Hawaiian Loan Guarantee Program, to provide $41 million in housing loans. In addition, the bill provides $10 million for Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grants. Both programs provide federal housing benefits for construction of affordable housing and down payments solely for Native Hawaiians. Native Hawaiians are a racial group and not a tribe. Such financial assistance on the basis of race would likely be subject to “strict scrutiny” in federal courts and presumptively unconstitutional.
Community Planning and Development: Provides $8.7 billion for Community Development and Planning, an increase of $221 million or 3 percent over FY 2010. The program was increased by $1.1 billion or 14 percent or 14 percent in last year’s appropriation. Programs funding through this account also received $6.7 billion in FY 2010 in emergency supplemental spending.
Hope VI: The bill provides $200 million for HUD’s HOPE VI program, the same amount as last year. The program provides competitive grants to local housing authorities to construct, rehabilitate and transform distressed public housing units into mixed-income communities. However, the goals set for the program have been met and exceeded according to HUD.
Project-Based Rental Assistance: Provides $8.9 billion for Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance, an increase of $824 million or 16 percent over FY 2010. The program was increased by $1.2 billion or 16 percent over FY 2010.
Title III—independent agencies
H.R. 5850 provides an additional $424 million in funding for other independent agencies, an increase of $41 million or 10 percent over FY 2010. Programs funded under this title include the Federal Maritime Commission, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.
H.R. 5850 Spending
(In Millions)
Program | FY 2010 | President's Request | H.R. 5850 | H.R. 5850 vs. FY 2010 | H.R. 5850 vs. Request | Change vs. FY 2010 |
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TITLE I--Department of Transportation | ||||||
Office of the Secretary | ||||||
Salaries and Expenses | 103 | 125 | 120 | 17 | -5 | 16.5% |
Office of Civil Rights | 10 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
Financial Management Capital | 5 | 21 | 19 | 14 | -2 | 280.0% |
National Infrastructure Investments | 0 | 0 | 384 | 384 | 384 | n/a |
Payments to air carriers | 125 | 132 | 146 | 21 | 14 | 16.8% |
Office of the Secretary Total | 890 | 352 | 757 | -133 | 405 | -14.9% |
Federal Aviation Administration | ||||||
Operations | 9,350 | 9,793 | 9,793 | 443 | 0 | 4.7% |
Facilities and equipment | 2,936 | 2,970 | 3,000 | 64 | 30 | 2.2% |
Research, engineering and development | 180 | 190 | 198 | 18 | 8 | 10.0% |
FAA Total | 12,441 | 12,953 | 12,991 | 550 | 38 | 4.4% |
Federal Highway Administration | ||||||
Limitation on Funds from HTF | 41,107 | 41,363 | 45,218 | 4,111 | 3,855 | 10.0% |
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration | ||||||
Motor Carrier Safety Operations (Limitation) | 233 | 253 | 260 | 27 | 7 | 11.6% |
Motor Carrier Safety Grants (Limitation) | 310 | 310 | 310 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | ||||||
Operations and research (general fund) | 140 | 133 | 148 | 8 | 15 | 5.7% |
Operations and research (HTF) | 110 | 122 | 114 | 4 | -8 | 3.6% |
Highway traffic safety grants (HTF Limitation) | 620 | 621 | 626 | 6 | 5 | 1.0% |
NHTSA Total (General Fund Discretionary Appropriations) | 127 | 136 | 143 | 16 | 7 | 12.6% |
National Infrastructure Innovation and Finance | ||||||
National Infrastructure Innovation and Finance | 0 | 4,000 | 0 | 0 | -4,000 | n/a |
Federal Railroad Administration | ||||||
Safety and operations | 172 | 129 | 203 | 31 | 74 | 18.0% |
Railroad Safety Technology Program | 50 | 0 | 75 | 25 | 75 | 50.0% |
Railroad safety | 50 | 50 | 0 | -50 | -50 | -100.0% |
Capital Assistance for High Speed Rail Corridors | 2,420 | 1,000 | 1,400 | -1,020 | 400 | -42.1% |
Amtrak operating subsidy grants | 563 | 563 | 563 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
Payment to the Amtrak Office of the Inspector General | 19 | 22 | 0 | -19 | -22 | -100.0% |
Amtrak capital and debt service grants | 1,002 | 1,052 | 1,204 | 202 | 152 | 20.2% |
Total Amtrak Funding | 1,584 | 1,637 | 1,767 | 183 | 130 | 11.6% |
Total Federal Railroad Administration | 4,379 | 2,856 | 3,507 | -872 | 651 | -19.9% |
Federal Transit Administration | ||||||
Administrative expenses | 97 | 114 | 107 | 10 | -7 | 10.3% |
DC Metro | 150 | 150 | 150 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
Formula and Bus Grants (Limitation) | 8,343 | 8,227 | 8,711 | 368 | 484 | 4.4% |
Capital investment grants | 1,998 | 1,822 | 2,000 | 2 | 178 | 0.1% |
Research and university research centers | 66 | 30 | 65 | -1 | 35 | -1.5% |
Rail Transit Safety Oversight Program | 0 | 24 | 0 | 0 | -24 | n/a |
Total Federal Transit Administration (Discretionary) | 2,388 | 2,167 | 2,346 | -42 | 179 | -1.8% |
Maritime Administration | ||||||
Maritime security program | 174 | 174 | 174 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
Operations and training | 150 | 164 | 169 | 19 | 5 | 12.7% |
Ship disposal | 15 | 10 | 10 | -5 | 0 | -33.3% |
Total Maritime Administration | 363 | 352 | 357 | -6 | 5 | -1.7% |
Additional Department of Transportation Appropriations | ||||||
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration | 164 | 173 | 173 | 9 | 0 | 5.5% |
Research and Innovative Technology Administration | 13 | 17 | 19 | 6 | 2 | 46.2% |
Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation | 32 | 32 | 34 | 2 | 2 | 6.3% |
Surface Transportation Board | 28 | 25 | 30 | 2 | 5 | 7.1% |
Total Department of Transportation Discretionary Funding | 21,389 | 22,789 | 20,292 | -1,097 | -2,497 | -5.1% |
TITLE II - Department of Housing and Urban Development | ||||||
Management and Administration | ||||||
Executive Direction | 27 | 30 | 30 | 3 | 0 | 11.1% |
Office of Inspector General | 125 | 122 | 122 | -3 | 0 | -2.4% |
Housing Personnel Compensation and Benefits | 375 | 396 | 396 | 21 | 0 | 5.6% |
Administration, Operations and Management | 537 | 522 | 539 | 2 | 17 | 0.4% |
Community Planning and Development Personnel | 99 | 106 | 106 | 7 | 0 | 7.1% |
Public and Indian Housing Personnel | 197 | 197 | 197 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Personnel | 72 | 68 | 68 | -4 | 0 | -5.6% |
Total Management and Administration | 1,890 | 2,294 | 2,037 | 147 | -257 | 7.8% |
Public and Indian Housing Programs | ||||||
Tenant based rental assistance (Section 8) | 14,084 | 15,355 | 15,296 | 1,212 | -59 | 8.6% |
Project-based rental assistance (Section 8) | 8,158 | 8,892 | 8,982 | 824 | 90 | 10.1% |
Public housing capital fund | 2,500 | 2,024 | 2,500 | 0 | 476 | 0.0% |
Public housing operating fund | 4,760 | 4,781 | 4,781 | 21 | 0 | 0.4% |
HOPE VI | 200 | 0 | 200 | 0 | 200 | 0.0% |
Native American housing block grant | 700 | 574 | 700 | 0 | 126 | 0.0% |
Total Public and Indian Housing Programs | 29,293 | 32,242 | 32,479 | 3,186 | 237 | 10.9% |
Advanced Appropriations | 4,400 | 4,400 | 4,394 | -6 | -6 | -0.1% |
Total Including Advance Appropriations | 33,693 | 36,642 | 36,873 | 3,186 | 237 | 9.6% |
Community Planning and Development | ||||||
Community development fund | 4,450 | 4,336 | 4,308 | -142 | -28 | -3.2% |
Community development loan guarantees program | 1,825 | 1,633 | 1,825 | 0 | 192 | 0.0% |
Homeless assistance grants | 1,865 | 2,034 | 2,200 | 335 | 166 | 18.0% |
Housing opportunities for persons with AIDS | 335 | 337 | 346 | 11 | 9 | 3.3% |
Brownfields redevelopment | 18 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 18 | 0.0% |
Total Community Planning and Development | 8,568 | 8,399 | 8,789 | 221 | 390 | 2.6% |
Housing Programs | ||||||
Housing counseling assistance | 88 | 87 | 87 | -1 | 0 | -1.1% |
FHA-mutual mortgage insurance program | 189 | 388 | 288 | 99 | -100 | 52.4% |
Housing for persons with disabilities | 300 | 89 | 300 | 0 | 211 | 0.0% |
Housing for the elderly | 825 | 271 | 825 | 0 | 554 | 0.0% |
Additional Department of Housing and Urban Development Appropriations | ||||||
Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity | 72 | 60 | 72 | 0 | 12 | 0.0% |
Working capital fund | 200 | 244 | 244 | 44 | 0 | 22.0% |
Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control | 140 | 139 | 139 | -1 | 0 | -0.7% |
Total FY 2011 Discretionary HUD Spending | 41,667 | 41,171 | 42,181 | 514 | 1,010 | 1.2% |
Including Advanced Appropriations | 46,069 | 45,571 | 46,531 | 468 | 966 | 1.0% |
TITLE III - Related Agencies | ||||||
Total Other Independent Agencies | 383 | 385 | 424 | 41 | 39 | 10.7% |
FY 2011 THUD Discretionary Appropriations Totals | ||||||
Total Discretionary Funding | 67,900 | 68,738 | 67,400 | -500 | -1,338 | -0.7% |
According to CBO, the legislation would appropriate $67.4 billion in discretionary funding for FY 2011.
