The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for Transportation and Housing and Urban Development held a FY 2019 budget hearing on April 18. HUD Secretary Ben Carson testified, defending his proposal to cut his department’s funding levels. Dr. Carson agreed with senators about the importance of HUD programs, but continually referred to the growing national debt as the reason for the cuts.

The majority of the committee expressed disagreement with the secretary’s argument. While Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) expressed support for the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program, which HUD proposes to use as an alternative to rehabbing public housing, she noted that the FY 2019 budget proposal doesn’t provide sufficient funding even to keep the program functioning at its current level, let alone expand it.