THE DAILY WHIP: THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2015

***Members are advised that close votes are possible today, including potential votes on amendments related to Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) and Davis-Bacon to H.R. 2577 – Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016.

Continue Consideration ofH.R. 2577 – Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016 (Rep. Diaz-Balart – Appropriations). H.R. 2577 provides approximately $55.3 billion in discretionary budget authority for FY 2016, which is $1.5 billion (2.8%) above FY 2015 levels but $9.7 billion below the President’s request. 

Despite the increase in overall funding from FY 2015, the bill makes several severe cuts to critical transportation and infrastructure programs and investments.  It cuts Amtrak’s funding by $251 million and includes none of the $825 million requested by the President for Positive Train Control. It provides $1.9 billion in funding for the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Grant Program, a cut of $198.6 million and $1.32 billion below the President’s request.  It also cuts funding for the Federal Aviation Administration’s modernization program by $100 million.

The bill also makes several cuts to housing programs. It reduces the Public Housing Capital Fund by $194 million below the FY 2015 level, $289 million below the President’s request, bringing funding for the Capital Fund down to $1.68 billion, $96 million below the FY 2013 sequester level. It also cuts the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative by 67% and flat funds HOME grants at $900 million – maintaining a reduction in funding of nearly 30% from FY 2013 enacted levels – at the lowest level since the program began in 1992.

Republicans are developing this year's spending bills based on their budget resolution’s adherence to sequester level discretionary spending caps for FY 2016, established in the Budget Control Act of 2011. The two-year Ryan-Murray Bipartisan Budget Agreement to replace much of the sequester’s cuts to defense and non-defense funding has expired, limiting resources for the regular appropriations process to $1,016.6 billion for FY 2016, a funding increase of just 0.29%. Because this T-HUD appropriations bill includes an increase larger than 0.29%, cuts to other non-defense Appropriations subcommittees’ 302(b) allocations will be necessary without an agreement to replace the sequester. At the same time, Republicans are exempting defense from the sequester by shifting $38 billion of the President’s base defense request into the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) war funding account, relieving pressure to replace the sequester for non-defense priorities. For these reasons, as well as a number of policy riders related to truck safety and one related the Cuba travel, the Administration issued a SAP stating that, should it reach his desk, the President’s advisors would recommend he veto this bill. Members are urged to VOTE NO.

The Rule provides for no further general debate and makes in order any amendment offered that complies with the House Rules. Additionally, the Rule provides for 10 minutes of debate per amendment equally divided between the proponent and an opponent and up to 10 pro forma amendments for the purpose of debate offered by the Chair and Ranking Member or their designee.

The House has completed reading through all titles of the bill. The House will resume debating amendments at the end of the bill today.

As of last night, the following amendments have recorded votes pending: 

• McClintock Amendment
• Walberg Amendment 
• Esty Amendment
• Cartwright Amendment
• Garrett Amendment
• Brooks (AL) Amendment #1
• Brooks (AL) Amendment #2
• Capps Amendment
• Stivers Amendment

Bill Text for H.R. 2577:
PDF Version

Background for H.R. 2577:
House Report (HTML Version)
House Report (PDF Version)