(The following story by Kathryn A. Wolfe appeared on the Congressional Quarterly website on July 28.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following the now-familiar pattern of defeating virtually all anti-earmark amendments before passing spending bills, the House last week approved the $104.4 billion fiscal 2008 Transportation-Housing appropriations measure.
The measure (HR 3074) passed by a vote of 268-153 on July 24, after lawmakers defeated a procedural motion that would have sent the bill back to the Appropriations Committee. (House vote 715, p. 2312)
Overall, the legislation would provide $4.1 billion more than President Bush requested and $4.4 billion more than enacted in fiscal 2007 (PL 110-5) — totals that earned a veto threat July 23 from the White House.
The Democratic-controlled House showed little inclination to heed either the veto threat or complaints from Republicans about priorities in the bill.
John W. Olver, D-Mass., chairman of the Transportation-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee, defended the bill’s spending totals and earmarks, saying Democrats had made significant progress on getting control over funding for members’ pet projects.
The bill would provide $50.7 billion in discretionary spending, which is $4 billion more than enacted last year and $2.8 billion more than Bush requested. The House included $800 million less in discretionary spending than the Senate did.
Highway programs would receive $40.2 billion, which is $1.1 billion more than enacted last year and $631 million more than Bush requested. The FAA would receive $14.6 billion, which is $140 million more than last year and $545 million more than Bush requested.
The community development fund, which helps localities build housing in low-income areas, would receive $4.2 billion, which is $408 million more than enacted last year and $1.1 billion more than the administration requested.
HOPE VI, which funds revitalization of deteriorating public housing projects, would receive $120 million, which is $21 million more than enacted last year; the Bush administration had sought to eliminate the program.
The debate was often testy. Fiscal conservatives — primarily Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas — used their now-familiar tactic to draw attention to the bill’s member earmarks. They offered many amendments to kill individual projects, forcing members to come to the floor and defend their individual earmarks.
Striking Distance
Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii, implied that Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., who sought to kill housing funds for native Hawaiians, should be glad he was not within striking distance. Westmoreland’s amendment was defeated, 116-307. (House vote 696, p. 2306)
And John Culberson, R-Texas, seemed personally offended when Flake moved to strike money to establish a broadcast program at the Houston Zoo. Flake’s amendment was defeated, 77-347. (House vote 702, p. 2308)
“I’m sick and tired of phony amendments that act like they are going to save money,” Culberson said. “I have already scrutinized this along with every other request from my office.”
Flake also took aim at a Wisconsin regional planning project. The amendment drew a predictably unhappy response from Appropriations Chairman David R. Obey, D-Wis.
Obey said Flake’s attempt “comes with considerable ill grace” considering that Arizona has received tens of millions of federal dollars for the Central Arizona Project, a massive aqueduct with an estimated cost of more than $5 billion. Flake’s amendment was defeated, 68-356. (House vote 699, p. 2306)
Lawmakers adopted by voice vote an amendment by Peter A. DeFazio, D-Ore., that would block funding for a controversial Transportation Department program that allows up to 100 Mexican trucking companies to travel beyond the set commercial zones along the U.S.-Mexican border.
The chamber defeated, 207-220, an amendment by Democrat Barney Frank of Massachusetts that would prohibit the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from enforcing portions of a law (PL 105-276) requiring public housing residents to perform eight hours of community service to receive housing assistance.
Air Traffic
Alcee L. Hastings, D-Fla., won adoption of an amendment that would block the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from consolidating larger air traffic control facilities known as TRACONs. Last year the FAA circulated a draft list of 15 TRACONs in several states that were being considered for closure and consolidation into other facilities.
The amendment was adopted, 268-158, despite opposition from the bipartisan leadership of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. (House vote 703, p. 2308)
That committee had drafted its own TRACON proposal as part of the bill to reauthorize the FAA (HR 2881).
Republicans made a few unsuccessful attempts to cut Amtrak funding. One Flake amendment would have slashed $475 million from Amtrak’s operating funds, while another would have cut $425 million from its capital funds. The latter was defeated, 104-312. (House vote 694, p. 2306)