Obama Threatens to Veto Transportation Bill With Bond-Related Transportation, Housing Cuts

The Obama administration said on Monday that the president will veto the fiscal 2013 appropriations bill for the Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development pending in the House if it is enacted in its current form because of cuts to bond-related and other programs.

In a Statement of Administration Policy, the Office of Management and Budget said the administration strongly opposes H.R. 2610, which is scheduled to be voted on in the House soon.

“The bill severely undermines critical investments in economic and community development programs that drive local innovation, while also significantly reducing resources for public improvements, air traffic control infrastructure, affordable housing, as well as public services for low-to-moderate-income families,” administration officials said.

The bill “would hurt our economy and require draconian cuts to middle class priorities,” they said.

The legislation would eliminate funding for transportation investment generating economic recovery grants for fiscal 2014 and rescind $237 million of TIGER funds for fiscal 2013. The proposed rescission “would dramatically disrupt DOT’s execution of the ongoing TIGER grant-making process, and could necessitate the withdrawal of awards to current grantees,” administration officials said.

The administration also objected to a provision of the bill that would bar federal funding for the California high speed rail project, which has been approved by California voters and the state legislature.

The bill also would only provide $1.7 billion of funds for the community development block grant program, which “would have significant impacts on state and local resources for public improvements, infrastructure, affordable housing, and public services for lower income families, administration officials said.

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