House Appropriations Committee Marks Up FY 2026 THUD Bill

THUD Bill Markup and Priorities

• 🏛️ The House Appropriations Committee convened to mark up the FY 2026 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) Bill, alongside the Energy and Water Development appropriations measure.
• 🎯 The THUD bill prioritizes transportation safety across railways, roads, and airways, and ensures a responsible safety net with housing support for the vulnerable.
• 💰 A key focus is fiscal responsibility, with the bill proposing a 5% reduction in spending compared to FY25 levels, eliminating or reducing 38 programs for significant savings.

Transportation Investments

• ✈️ Significant funding is allocated to the FAA, including a nearly $2 billion increase for facilities and equipment, and funding to train and hire 2500 new air traffic controllers.
• 🛣️ The bill provides $63.4 billion for highways and bridges through the highway trust fund, a $1.3 billion increase, directly allocated to state departments of transportation.
• 🚆 Investments in rail include $925 million for Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and $1.4 billion for the national network, alongside $500 million for consolidated rail infrastructure safety improvements.
• 🚢 Support for the maritime mission includes $481 million for strategic sealift programs and increases for the maritime security and tanker security programs.

Housing and Urban Development Funding

• 🏠 The bill supports authorized rental assistance programs at approximately $50 billion for Section 8 project-based rental assistance and programs serving the elderly and disabled, maintaining FY25 levels.
• 🏘️ Over $4 billion is allocated for homeless assistance grants, a 2.6% increase, with a $3.8 billion mark for the Continuum of Care program.
• 🚫 The bill rejects a proposal to transform rental assistance into a state block grant program, opting to maintain existing authorized programs.

Opposition and Concerns

• 📉 Ranking members expressed strong opposition, citing proposed cuts to rental assistance programs, eviction prevention, and housing construction, which they argue will exacerbate the housing crisis and lead to increased homelessness.
• 🚗 Concerns were also raised about cuts to public transit, Amtrak, and bus projects, as well as the reallocation of funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, potentially hindering infrastructure investments and economic growth.
• ⚖️ Some members voiced concerns about the bill's potential to undermine fair housing enforcement and its impact on vulnerable populations, including seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families.