White House Threatens Veto of Transportation-HUD Bill

[babylonsister]

http://public.cq.com/docs/cqm/cqmidday110-000002556561.html

White House Threatens Veto of Transportation-HUD Bill

As expected, the administration issued a veto threat Monday against the fiscal 2008 Transportation-Housing spending bill, denouncing its “irresponsible and excessive” spending level.

The $104 billion bill funding the Transportation and Housing and Urban Development departments (HR 3074) is $4.1 billion more than Bush requested and $5.9 billion more than enacted in fiscal 2007 (PL 110-5).

Bush has threatened to veto any spending bill that exceeds his fiscal 2008 budget request.

But members of the House Appropriations Transportation-HUD Subcommittee say the cuts the administration wants in this bill would mean underfunding the 2005 surface transportation law , which mandated specific spending levels each year.

Debate will begin Monday, but a vote on final passage is not expected until Tuesday.

Under the bill, highway programs would receive $40.2 billion, $1.1 billion more than enacted last year and $631,000 more than Bush requested. The Federal Aviation Administration would receive $14.6 billion, $140 million more than last year and $545 million more than requested.

The community development fund, which helps localities build housing in low-income areas, would receive $4.2 billion, $408 million more than last year and $1.1 billion more than Bush requested. HOPE VI, which funds revitalization of deteriorating public housing projects, would receive $120 million, which is $21 million more than last year; the administration had sought to eliminate the program.

[izzie]

1. I do not get the GOP and Bush.

They all vote for things we blow up but things to fix things or make things better are off the table. Do they think things will last for ever once we build them yet just love to redo things that go bang in the night.

[babylonsister]

2. I think they're just out of money, but war trumps the US and that's where

they want any extra funds to go.

[izzie]

3. Bush does look like he has run out of any plans for anything.

He is really a 'dubber' as my father would say.

[salin]

4. So now he wants to take the Legislative branch power of the purse

away, as well. I am surprised he just doesn't pass an edict, er, executive order, to disband congress altogether.