At Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee Markup, House Democrats Fight to Help Lower Cost of Living

Republicans are making it more difficult for Americans to secure and remain in affordable housing and cutting amtrak and other critical transportation investments.

WASHINGTON — During today’s House Appropriations Subcommittee markup of the 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. 

Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member James E. Clyburn’s (D-SC-06) opening remarks.

“Access to safe, reliable, affordable transit is essential for connecting people to jobs, schools, healthcare, and opportunity – the very things that help families achieve housing stability and self-sufficiency. This bill falls short of what is needed to support our military, commercial, and freight air-travel needs,” said Congressman James E. Clyburn. “In this appropriations process, Republicans claim we must ‘responsibly’ cut federal spending because of deficit concerns. But their definition of ‘responsible’ is taking housing away from vulnerable Americans and kicking the can down the road on addressing the country’s growing housing shortage, homelessness crisis, and crumbling infrastructure – problems that will only get bigger and more expensive if we do nothing to address them now. Unfortunately, this bill’s allocation is woefully inadequate and will be devastating to many communities throughout the country – especially in my home state of South Carolina.”

From Appropriations Committee Ranking Rosa DeLauro’s (D-CT-03) opening remarks:

“We are considering another House Republican bill which will raise costs for struggling American families and make it harder for them to get by each month,” said CongresswomanRosa DeLauro. “After blowing up the deficit by trillions of dollars to hand billionaires and corporations a massive windfall, the majority is pinching pennies by kicking Americans, including children, out of their homes and onto the streets. While housing costs are escalating faster than Americans can keep up, so too are the costs of transportation. New cars, used cars, and insurance are all making transportation unaffordable. So, what does the majority’s bill do to help? Gut investments in our transit networks that relieve Americans of the high transportation costs...Americans cannot keep up with the costs of housing and transportation, and this committee has more power than most to do something about it. But unfortunately, the majority has instead pursued draconian funding levels, and a pro-eviction, pro-road congestion agenda that will only make household budgets tighter.”

A summary of the bill is here. A fact sheet is here. The text of the bill is here. Information on Community Project Funding in the bill is here.

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