Member Day
2025-04-09
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Source: Congress.gov
Participants
Transcript
And that thing hits 10. The subcommittee will come to order. Good morning. Welcome to this year's member day hearing. Today we welcome our colleagues to testify on their priorities for the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Transportation for fiscal 26. Member engagement is key to the appropriations process and especially important for our bill because every district has housing and transportation assets, and as a result of that, they have needs. As a former mayor, I value the local perspective from districts nationwide. That's why I'm looking forward to hearing from our colleagues this morning. So before we get into the testimony, I'd like to recognize the ranking member, the gentleman from South Carolina, Mr. Clyburn. If he has any comments he'd like to offer before we get into member testimony. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Just hit that button over there.
There you go. That one. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. As you have stated, this subcommittee provides funding for vital programs that impact every district across this country. Programs throughout this bill create opportunities for everyday Americans that include stable housing for seniors and growing families, pathways for home ownership and wealth building, job growth and self-sufficiency, transportation, and air safety. We welcome feedback on how we can work on a bipartisan basis to support the work of members of this body, Department of Transportation, Housing and Development, and the other independent agencies. I look forward to hearing from our colleagues today and I thank you for your leadership.
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Unknown (SPEAKER_05)
Thank you, Chairman Womack and Ranking Member Clyburn and our Vice Chair, who's also here with us today, for creating a space for members to provide input into the appropriation process and to also be able to provide the written testimony on the agencies and the programs under the jurisdiction of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Programs Subcommittee. I'd like to start by stating that I am deeply concerned about the state of housing in our country, particularly in light of the recent ongoing actions of the administration that feel like they're weakening the housing workforce and abandoning some of our most vulnerable residents. Since January 20th, we've witnessed the dismantling of the Department of Housing and Development, and the administration has rolled out some executive orders and others that we have seen already have reduced staff at HUD. We've seen freezes and delays in federal funding to housing programs, and the release guidance that severely undermines housing protections for some of the most underserved communities in our country, and that includes veterans and individuals with disabilities. As members of Congress, it is our responsibility to ensure that the funds we appropriate are honored by the executive branch. And that, in this moment, feels like we're not ceding congressional power to the whims and interests of billionaires at the expense of working families. I want to tell you why I think this. In the state of Illinois, almost 400,000 people rely on subsidized housing, 400,000. There has been at least $60 million in funding that have been thrown into limbo due to the directives of the Trump administration. Funding uncertainties and contract cancellations delay and stall necessary housing developments that our communities have desperately needed for so many years. And it feels unconscionable that at a time where we need housing so much, we would be stalling these projects. The attacks on HUD and its programs are not just attacks on our working families, but they're attacks on the infrastructure of our country.
The attacks on HUD are intentional attacks on civil rights and legal protections, particularly for historically marginalized communities. Constituents and stakeholders have shared their fear and their uncertainty regarding the future of housing opportunities especially for persons with AIDS through the HOPWA program and their fair housing initiative programs. The HOPWA program has established, was established to provide housing assistance and related supportive services for low income persons living with HIV AIDS and their families. And as a proud supporter of AIDS Chicago and AIDS United, it is imperative that our neighbors living with HIV AIDS continue to receive the lifesaving support, including housing. Any attack on Hapwa is an attack on the black and brown communities that are disproportionately impacted by HIV AIDS epidemic. Furthermore, I learned that in February, this administration canceled 78 fair housing initiative program grants. The programs contribute to the creation of equitable and fair access to housing. The services provided by fair housing centers are indispensable to a large and diverse set of Americans, included but not limited to African-Americans, Latinos, Asian-Americans, and other racial and ethnic minorities who have historically faced systemic discrimination in Chicago and in housing as a whole.
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