Republicans Move Forward with Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Bill that Raises the Cost of Living

Republicans Reject Democratic Efforts to Address the Housing Crisis, Prevent Evictions, and Protect Investments in Our Transportation Systems

WASHINGTON — During today’s House Appropriations Committee markup of the fiscal year 2026 Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies funding bill, House Democrats highlighted how 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.

The bill:

• Fails to lower the 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 and access homeownership by threatening to push nearly 415,000 low-income households off of assistance or face eviction.
• Increases congestion on roads, shrinks the workforce, and stalls supply chain networks and our economy by walking away from critical public-private investments that advance our transportation systems, keep our construction workers on the job, and grow American manufacturer and supplier businesses.
• Strips away housing protections for people with disabilities, veterans, and families with children, while adding costs and red tape for housing developers to expand affordable housing for American families.

“It is the job of Members on this subcommittee to improve the day-to-day lives of Americans. Unfortunately, this bill is full of unrealistic gimmicks and will be devastating to many communities throughout the country — especially in my home state of South Carolina,” Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member James E. Clyburn (D-SC-06) said. “The bill before us proposes to shortchange HUD's rental assistance programs by more than $5 billion and eliminate all investments for eviction prevention. This would mean hundreds of thousands of HUD-assisted households would face eviction, the majority of whom are elderly, disabled, or families with children. Given the dire need to lower the cost of living for Americans, this is unacceptable. The funding tactics of ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’ have real life consequences. What we do or don’t do in this bill is not just about numbers on a spreadsheet – it’s about a mother who will lose her housing voucher, an aging senior who can’t find accessible housing, and a working family who can’t afford both rent and reliable transportation to get to work.”

Congressman James E. Clyburn’s full remarks are here.

“House Republicans’ Transportation, Housing and Urban Development funding bill makes affordable housing and quality transportation options more expensive and out of reach for more Americans. Instead of addressing the cost-of-living crisis, President Trump and House Republicans are making it worse,” Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) said. “With their funding bill, House Republicans are ignoring the working class, the middle class, and vulnerable Americans who are struggling to keep a roof over their heads, own a home, and commute to work and school in a way that is safe and affordable. Their bill strips away critical investments in housing and community development while cutting Amtrak and other critical transportation resources, putting more commuters on the road, and adding more delays getting to work. Republicans’ bill slows the shipment of products American families depend on, further threatening to raise prices at a time when President Trump is weakening the economy. 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.”

Congresswoman DeLauro’s full remarks are here.

During today’s markup, Democrats fought to:

• Reverse Republican cuts to programs that would worsen the cost-of-living crisis, like the Home Investment Partnership Program, housing counseling, eviction prevention, and NeighborWorks.
• Stop President Trump’s stealing of investments in bipartisan infrastructure projects and the political persecution of cities and counties across the country.
• Restore full funding for Fair Housing Activities, domestic violence survivor resources, and housing for the elderly.

House Republicans rejected these efforts.

A summary of the bill is here. A fact sheet is here. 

The text of the bill, before the adoption of amendments in full committee, is here. The bill report, before the adoption of amendments in full Committee, is here. Information on Community Project Funding in the bill is here.

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