Hal Rogers: “I thank the chairman for yielding me this time. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this bill, obviously, the fiscal 2016…”

“I thank the chairman for yielding me this time. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this bill, obviously, the fiscal 2016 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill. Mr. Chairman, I am proud that we have this piece of legislation. It is our fifth appropriations bill of this year on the floor today. It is the next step in our ongoing effort to fully fund the government before the end of the fiscal year, as is our congressional duty. This bill, as the chairman has said, funds a wide range of Federal programs that affect every citizen of every district of every State. From the transportation infrastructure that moves goods, people, and businesses around the country to the housing options that help most those in need, the benefits of the programs in this bill are felt far and wide. In total, the bill provides $55.3 billion in discretionary spending due to reduced offsets, including lower FHA receipts. The bill represents a $25 million increase above the current year. This is a tight budget, Mr. Chairman. Yet the bill targets funds to provide adequate investments in critical infrastructure and much- relied-upon housing programs. Of the total, $17.2 billion goes toward discretionary funding for DOT, prioritizing projects that have great benefits to our Nation as a whole and that will help make this Nation's transportation systems safer and more efficient. This includes $15.9 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration.…”