June 3, 2015
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Representative,

You will soon consider the fiscal year (FY) 2016 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations bill.  The bill provides $55.3 billion in funding for agencies under its jurisdiction, which is a $1.5 billion increase over FY 2015 and $9.7 billion less than the president’s budget request.  After analyzing the bill, the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) located several spending cut recommendations included in Prime Cuts 2015.  On behalf of the more than one million members and supporters of CCAGW, I urge you to reduce or eliminate the following programs (figures are the funding levels in the bill):

• Eliminate Community Development Block Grants ($3 billion)
• Eliminate the HOME Investment Partnerships Program ($767 million)
• Eliminate federal subsidies for Amtrak ($288.5 million)
• Eliminate the Maritime Security Program ($186 million)
• End the Essential Air Service ($155 million)
• Reduce funding for the Fair Housing Activities Program ($65.3 million)
• Reduce the Maritime Administration’s budget by five percent ($9.3 million)

I urge you to offer or support any amendments that cut spending from these programs, potentially more than offsetting the $1.5 billion spending increase over FY 2015.  All votes on the FY 2016 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations bill will be among those considered in CCAGW’s 2015 Congressional Ratings.

Sincerely,

Tom Schatz
President, CCAGW