Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, today I rise to offer an amendment that would prohibit the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development from issuing any new livable or sustainable community grants. While the Appropriations Committee did not include any new funds for these grants, my amendment goes a step further to ensure that neither the Department of Transportation nor the Housing Secretary can attempt to transfer any of their Department's discretionary funding. In 2009, under the direction of President Obama, EPA, Department of Transportation, and HUD began the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, a joint venture to provide millions of dollars to local communities to entice them to buy into the President's sustainable development agenda. Over 2010 and 2011, DOT and HUD awarded approximately $96 million in grant funding for sustainable and livable community initiatives; however, these programs were never authorized by Congress. In fact, the Financial Services Committee, who has authority over HUD programs, said that the: Sustainable Communities Initiative, which has yet to be authorized by the Committee, should not be funded at the expense of other critical affordable housing programs. This opinion of the sustainable communities program by the Financial Services Committee, was bipartisan and unanimous.…”