Urgent Action Needed on HUD Spending Bill

The Senate is expected to take up the bill later this week.

This omnibus spending bill will include all 11 unfinished FY08 spending bills, including the THUD bill, and will reflect compromises made by Congressional leadership to reduce spending in the overall package by $10.6 billion, splitting the difference between the amounts originally approved in the 11 appropriation bills and the President's initial budget request. The Democratic leadership is proposing these reductions to attract Republican support to overcome the President's threatened veto.

While the exact nature of the proposed cuts is not know at this time, and may not be available until shortly before consideration by the House, most likely the funding levels that will be established for HUD in the omnibus package will be close to those provided in the THUD conference agreement and exceed those requested by the President.

It is essential that the omnibus bill pass the House with a veto proof majority. If this majority is not achieved, then HUD programs and other important social services program could be subject to extensive cuts. The President's FY08 HUD budget request was lower than the amounts currently available to HUD; reducing FY08 spending to the levels proposed in the President's budget would have devastating results for housing programs.

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