Republican Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Funding Bill Makes It More Difficult for Americans to Secure and Remain in Affordable Housing

Bill Cuts Amtrak and Other Critical Transportation Investments

WASHINGTON — House Appropriations Committee Republicans today released the draft fiscal year 2025 Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies funding bill, which will be considered in subcommittee tomorrow. While Americans continue to struggle with the high cost of living, the bill makes it more expensive for Americans to keep a roof over their heads, commute to work and school, and have a chance at homeownership.

For 2025, the funding bill provides $90.4 billion, including $378 million for maritime defense programs at the Department of Transportation. After accounting for housing revenues, $99 billion is provided for federal transportation and housing programs, a cut of over $4.4 billion, or 4.3 percent, from 2024.

The legislation:

• Ignores the high cost of living for Americans while threatening to damage our nation’s economy by making it more difficult for Americans to secure and remain in affordable housing, access homeownership, and increase wealth and threatening to force tens of thousands of evictions.
• Walksaway from critical investments in commuter rail and bus infrastructure and Amtrak operations, resulting in service cuts, delays to station improvements that support accessibility for people with disabilities, and the loss of thousands of future jobs.
• Strips away equal access to housing and community development investments for people across America otherwise protected from discrimination on the basis of disability, race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), and family status.

“Right now, Americans are burdened by rising housing costs and unreliable transportation, exacerbated by lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the time for us to be making historic investments that will improve access to affordable housing and ensure our transportation systems are functional, safe and efficient,” Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Mike Quigley (D-IL-05) said. “Unfortunately, the FY25 Republican introduced THUD bill fails to meet the growing needs of our nation. This bill fails to protect critical housing programs that keep people off the streets as well as investments that maintain safe and effective transportation systems. We can and must do better for the American people.”

“House Democrats side with hardworking Americans already struggling to keep up with the high cost of living. House Republicans propose policies that make it more difficult to keep a roof over your head and get to work and school,” Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) said. “The Republican 2025 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development bill strips away critical investments in housing and community development while cutting Amtrak and other critical transportation resources, putting more commuters on the road, adding more delays getting to work, and slowing the shipment of products American families depend on. This bill would have lasting, harmful consequences on the health and safety of our communities. House Republicans are making it more difficult for hardworking people to get by.”

A summary of House Republicans’ 2025 Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies funding bill is here. A fact sheet is here. The text of the bill is here. The subcommittee markup will be webcast live and linked on the House Committee on Appropriations website.

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