Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013

Floor Speech

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Mr. GRIFFITH of Virginia. 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.

Last year, thankfully, no new funding was provided for sustainable community grants, but the conference committee reminded the Secretary that these efforts were eligible activities under other programs, meaning funding for the sustainable community grants could have been obtained by shifting funding. This amendment would prevent that shifting.

I do not believe the Federal Government should be enticing our local and State governments with this money to get them to buy into the President's sustainable development agenda that cedes some local or State authority to Federal or international bureaucracies and governing boards.

I commend the Appropriations Committee for not giving any new funds to these unauthorized grants. This amendment makes it clear that these activities should not be continued at DOT or at HUD under any circumstances.

As Robert Frost wrote, ``Good fences make good neighbors.''

This amendment will put up a fence to prevent shifting funding to a program this Congress has not approved, and it sends a message that our various States and local communities should be in control of their housing, transportation and zoning policies.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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