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Frankel Calls For More Infrastructure Investment, Not Less

Votes No on Underfunded T-HUD Bill

Washington, DC, June 10, 2014

Congresswoman Lois Frankel voted against the underfunded H.R. 4745, the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2015 (T-HUD) because it includes severe cuts to vital transportation and housing programs.  The transportation programs slashed under H.R. 4745 help fund our highways, bridges, passenger rail systems such as Amtrak, and transit systems like subways, streetcars, and commuter rail systems (Tri-Rail).  The bill passed the full House by a total of 229 to 192.

“Investment and modernization in infrastructure means more jobs and a better ability for our country to compete in a global economy.  This bill is hugely disappointing.  I hope for better results when we go to conference with the Senate,” said Frankel.

Specifically, H.R. 4745 cuts the following:

  • Funding for Amtrak is cut by $200 million below FY 2014.These cuts could impact Silver Star, connecting New York to Miami, and affecting over 400,000 passengers.This could limit tourism in South Florida as a result;
  • Federal Transit Administration’s New Start capital investment grants are cut by $252 million below FY 2014 and $809 million below the President’s request.This will make it harder for Tri-Rail to expand to the northern parts of Palm Beach County and to upgrade its equipment over the next few years.It will also severely hinder attempts by Fort Lauderdale to develop its new streetcar project – The Wave – to link all the major areas of interest in downtown Fort Lauderdale;
  • The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery Grant programand could make grants for quiet zones along the Florida East Coast Rail (FEC) corridor harder to obtain;
  • The HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) and the Public Housing Capital Fund, which are important for the rehabilitation and modernization of the nation’s supply of affordable housing, will face deep cuts.  People living in public housing in Palm Beach and Broward Counties could wind up losing their homes, while those seeking housing could continue to be unable to find a place to live.

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