Catching Up With Quigley: Week of July 8
Dear Friend,
I wanted to take a moment to look back on some of the work I did this week while in Washington, DC.
1. Met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
On Wednesday, I had the honor of meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his visit to Washington, DC for the NATO Summit. It was an informative and insightful meeting where he shared what additional needs Ukraine faces in their fight against Russia. My fellow Ukraine Caucus Co-Chairs and I assured President Zelenskyy that the United States is a steadfast partner and we will not give up on them as they fight to save their democracy.
Recently, I used my role on the Appropriations Committee to protect funding for Ukraine in their time of need. This funding, provided through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, allows Ukraine to purchase weapons and equipment directly from U.S. manufacturers. This program is not only critical to Ukraine's defense but an investment in our own economy and stockpiles.
2. Celebrated Grant Funding for Low-Emissions Buses
Earlier this week, the Federal Transit Administration awarded Pace $30.9 million in grant funding dedicated to advance their ongoing transition to a zero-emissions fleet. This means Pace will be able to purchase around 33 low-emissions buses to serve the Chicagoland area. Pace is one of the largest bus services in North America, and serves approximately 127,000 daily riders. In 2021, Pace committed to converting their entire bus fleet to zero-emission vehicles by 2040 and this new grant will help them achieve this critical goal.
As the Co-Chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition and the lead Democrat on the Subcommittee that funds the Department of Transportation, this grant is welcome news. I believe our nation must lead the world in climate-conscious transportation as we fight climate change and embrace clean energy alternatives.
3. Led a Full Committee Markup for the FY25 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Funding Bill
This week, I led Democrats during the markup of the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations funding bill. I am proud to serve as the Ranking Member on this subcommittee but am disappointed by the funding cuts proposed by my colleagues across the aisle. Right now, Americans are burdened by rising housing costs and unreliable transportation, exacerbated by lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the time for us to be making historic investments that will improve access to affordable housing and ensure our transportation systems are functional, safe, and efficient. Unfortunately, the FY25 Republican THUD bill fails to meet the growing needs of our nation. The legislation:
- Ignores the high cost of living for Americans while threatening to damage our nation’s economy by making it more difficult for Americans to secure and remain in affordable housing, access homeownership, and increase wealth and by threatening to force tens of thousands of evictions.
- Walks away from critical investments in commuter rail and bus infrastructure and Amtrak operations, resulting in service cuts, delays to station improvements that support accessibility for people with disabilities, and the loss of thousands of future jobs.
- Strips away equal access to housing and community development investments for people across America otherwise protected from discrimination on the basis of disability, race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), and family status.
- I believe we can and must do better for the American people.
Don't forget, our office is always here to help.
You can call my DC office at (202) 225-4061 or my Chicago office at (773) 267-5926. You can also email me through my website at Quigley.house.gov/contact.
Sincerely,
Mike Quigley