Brian Schatz: “the Senate will soon vote--how soon, unclear--but soon vote on an appropriations package which, among other bills…”

“the Senate will soon vote--how soon, unclear--but soon vote on an appropriations package which, among other bills, includes one from the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Subcommittee, which I chair. I want to take a moment to talk about what is in it and why it matters so much. The United States is experiencing an unprecedented housing shortage. Homes are increasingly out of reach for so many families and individuals, and homelessness continues to rise to record levels. There is no question that the Federal Government must act. No appropriations bill--especially one negotiated under difficult spending caps demanded by House Republicans--is going to solve our decades-long housing problem. But what this bill does is provide funding for rental and homelessness assistance for millions of Americans. It also provides $100 million for the Yes in My Backyard Program, which will incentivize building housing and eliminating exclusionary zoning policies that have long kept housing supply down. The bill also includes funding to modernize transportation and make it safer and more accessible. It fully funds the Federal Aviation Administration so that it can staff up and maintain a world-class air traffic control system. Also included is the funding for the Federal Railroad Administration, which, in part, will help to improve rail safety in the wake of the East Palestine train derailment.…”