The cap on this particular initiative. We do have to realize that there are over 40 million americans who do not speak english as their first language this tiny program demonstrates to the American People that we have equal protection under the law regardless of whether people are englishspeaking or Spanish Speaking or speak some other language. Given the tiny amount of money thats involved here, this program has been extraordinarily effective. Almost 30,000 people benefited from a program that cost this federal government only 300,000. I ask that you consider the value of this program to every Community Across america and i urge them to accept this amendment as they did last year. I yield back the balance of my time. The chair the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from florida. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. The amendment depreed to. Is agreed to. The clerk will read. The clerk page 113, line 1, office of led, hazard control and healthy homes, 70 million to remain available until eptember 30, 2016. The chair the clerk will continue to read. The Clerk Information Technology fund, 97 million. Office of Inspector General, 124,861,000. General provisions, department of housing and urban development, including transfer of funds, section 201, 50 of the amounts that are recaptured from projects described in section 1012a of the stewart b. Mckinney homeless assistance amendments pack of 1988 shall be resinleded. Section 202, none of the funds none of the amounts made available may be used to investigate under the Fair Housing Act any lawful activity for the purpose of achieving action by a government official. Section 203, sections 203 and 209 of division c of public law 11255 shall apply if sections were included in this title. Section 204, any grant made pursuant to title 2 shall be made on a competitive basis. Section 205, funds shall be available for Legal Services and for making payments for services of the federal and National Mortgage association. Section 118 excuse me, section 206, no part of any expiration should be available for any program. Section 207, corporations and agencies of the department are subject to the Government Corporation control act are hereby authorized to make such expenditures. Section 208, the secretary shall provide quarterly reports to the committees regarding all excess funds in each Program Within the jurisdiction of the department. Section 209, the president s budget request for fiscal year 2016 shall use the identical account structure provided under this act. Section 210, a Public Housing agency that administers federal Housing Assistance for the Housing Authority of the county of los angeles, california, the states of alaska, iowa and mississippi, shall not be required to include a resident of Public Housing. Section 211, no funds may be used for the audit of the government National Mortgage associations. Section 212, the secretary may offer a transfer of sum for all projectbased assistance associated with one or more multifamily Housing Projects. Section 213, no assistance shall be provided under section 8 of the United States housing act of 1937 to any individual who is enrolled as a student at an institution of higher education. Section 214, funds made available for native alaskans shall be allocated to the same native alaskan housing block grant recipients that received funds in fiscal year 2005. Section 215, the secretary may enter into commitments to ensure mortgages under section 255. Section 216, in managing in a any multifamily property owned by the secretary and during the process of foreclosure on property with a contract for rental assistance payments, the secretary shall maintain any rental assistance payments. Section 217, the Commitment Authority funded by seas may be used to guarantee notes or other obligations issued by any state on behalf of nonentity entitlement communities. Section 218, Public Housing agencies that own and operate 400 or fewer units may elect to be exempt from any Asset Management requirement imposed by the secretary. Section 219, the secretary shall not impose any requirement relating to Asset Management that restricts the use of Capital Funds for Central Office costs purr subte to the United States pursuant to the United States housing act of 1937. Section 220, no official of the department shall be dessnailted as an a designated as an allotment holder unless the office of the chief financial holder section 221, the secretary shall report annually to committees on the status of all section 8 projectbased housing, including an analysis of all federally subsidized housing being refinanced under the markettomarket program. Section 222, the secretary shall notify the public through the federal register of the issuance of a notice of the availability of assistance for any program administered that is to be competively awarded. Section 223, payment for Attorney Fees and programrelated litigation must be paid from individual Program Office personnel benefits and compensation funding. Section 224, the secretary is authorized to transfer up to 5 million under the heading administrative support offices to any other office funded under section heading. Section 225, disaster Housing Assistance programs shall be considered a program of the department of housing and urban development. Section 226, the citizen shall take the required actions when a multifamily Housing Project with a section 8 contract receives a Real Estate Assessment Center score 30 or less. Section 227, none of the funds for the purposes authorized under section 8 and section 9 of the United States housing act of 1937 may be used by any Public Housing agency that exceeds the annual rate of basic pay payable for a position at level 4 of the executive schedule. Section 228, none of the funds may be available for the Dissertation ResearchGrant Program at the department. Section 229, none of the funds provided to the department of housing may be used to make a grant award unless the secretary notifies the committee. Section 230, section 579 is a multifamily assisted housing reform and affordability act of 1997 is amended. Section 231, none of the funds may be used to require the physical needs assessment. Section 232, none of the funds nor any receipts collected may be used to implement the homeowners armed knowledge hawk program. Section 233, none of the funds shall be used to ensure or establish a federal guarantee of any mortgage or mortgagebacked security that replaces a mortgage that has been subject to imminent domain this title may be cited as the department of housing and urban Development Appropriations act, 2015. The chair for what purpose does the gentleman from connecticut rise . I have an amendment, mr. Chairman, i have an amendment at the desk. The chair the clerk will report. The clerk amendment offered by mr. Heinz of connecticut. Page 140, after line 9, insert the following new section. Section 234a. Establishment of budgetneutral Demonstration Program for multifamily housing, energy and Water Conservation. The secretary of housing and urban development referred to in this section as the secretary shall establish a Demonstration Program under which, during the period beginning at the date mr. Himes i ask unanimous consent to dispense with the reading. The chair is there objection . The gentleman iowa. Mr. Chairman, i reserve a point of order on the gentlemans amendment. The chair the point of order is reserved. Without objection, the amendment is considered as read. The gentleman from connecticut is recognized for five minutes. Mr. Himes thank you, mr. Chairman. Id like to begin by thanking my colleagues, mr. Ross of florida and mr. Delainy of maryland, for cosponsoring this delaney of maryland, for cosponsoring this amendment. This is an amendment that is a bipartisan proposal that has been included in the senate thud appropriations bill and the Bipartisan Energy bill. It was also included in the president s budget and more than 24 separate groups support this amendment. It presents no risk to the federal government, is budgetneutral and actually has the potential to reduce utility costs for h. U. D. Up to 7 billion annually. In brief, h. U. D. Assisted properties are generally older stock with Inefficient Energy and water usage. There are lots of barriers to improving that situation and therefore realizing those savings. Under the Pilot Program proposed by this amendment, an intermediary will contract with h. U. D. Or Property Owners to produce energy and water savings in exchange for a share of those ongoing savings. Relying on this contract, the intermediary will raise the capital to pay for energy and Water Conservation for the affected property. This private capital will be used to pay energyefficient experts to perform energy and water efficiency upgrades to h. U. D. Assisted housing, such as housing for seniors and people with disabilities. Multifamily building owners would not take any on any risk and not need to spend any capital. The bill leverages the private sector to more effectively direct Government Resources and to ensure the best outcomes for the taxpayer. Mr. Chairman, we may not agree on some things in the underlying bill, but smart, innovative approaches to Financing Energy savings improvements are simply common sense. I hope the chairman and Ranking Member will work with me and my fellow bipartisan cosponsors to ensure this measure is ultimately enacted into law. And with that, mr. Chairman, i will yield back the balance of my time. The chair the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The gentleman from iowa. Mr. Latham mr. Chairman, i make a point of order against the amendment because it proposes to change existing law and constitutes legislation in an appropriation bill and therefore violates clause 2 of rule 21. The rule states in the pertinent part, an amendment to a general appropriation bill shall not be in order if changing existing law. The amendment imposes additional duties. I ask for a ruling of the chair. The chair does any other member wish to be heards on the point of order . Heard on the point of order . Hearing none, the chair finds that this amendment finds language imparting direction. The amendment therefore constitutes legislation in violation of clause 2 of rule 21. The point of order is sustained and the amendment is not in order. Mr. Himes i seek unanimous consent to withdraw the amendment. The chair the amendment has already been ruled out. Mr. Himes thank you, mr. Chairman. The chair the clerk will continue to read. The clerk page 40, line 12, title 3. Related agencies, access, board salaries and expenses. Federal Housing Finance agency, office of Inspector General, 45 million to remain available until september 30, 2016. Federal Maritime Commission salaries and expenses, 25,499,000. National railroad Passenger Corporation office of Inspector General, salaries and expenses. The chair for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia rise . Mr. Broun i have an amendment at the desk. The chair the clerk will report the amendment. The clerk amendment offered by mr. Broun of georgia. Page 141, line 23, after the dollar amount insert, reduce by 1 million. Pages 156, line 16, after the dollar amount insert, increase by 1 million. The chair the gentleman from georgia is recognized for five minutes. Mr. Broun thank you, mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would reduce amtraks office of the Inspector General by 1 million and increase the spending reduction account by that same amount. This reduction would eliminate the proposed increase to that account, keeping funding just like it is today. Keep the funding level for this years spending for the coming year. I spoke about amtraks failings at length during consideration of the first title of this bill. Amtrak consistently runs a massive operating deficit. The Long Distance routes are continually in the red and the food and besk raj service only nets Beverage Service only nets 65 return on what it spends. Despite paying its staff sixfigure salaries. Way above what the average american can expect to make in salaries. My colleagues who support amtrak would likely say this Embattled Agency deserves more funding. And yes, the office of Inspector General has rooted out some fraud and has discovered some significant overpayments. Mr. Chairman, i would submit that fraud, overpayments, these things are just the tip of a very large, very obvious iceberg. It is not some great mystery why amtrak is hemorrhaging money. The longdistance routes lose incredible amounts of money and taxpayers are being bill beinged for this tremendous amount of loss. It is breathtaking that we continue to turn a blind eye to more than a half billion dollars loss year after year just to sustain these routes which carry fewer than five million passengers annually. That number may sound large but n 2012, there were more than 115 million ticketted Airline Passengers in the United States. How about the food and Beverage Service on amtrak trains . Over the last five years, the service has resulted in nearly 400 million in losses. Yes, the office of Inspector General does decent work and i commend the office for exposing and admitting amtraks history of cooking its books in the food and Beverage Service to look slightly less awful than they actually are. In this time of fiscal emergency, i think it would be prudent to tell the amtrak o. I. G. To work on the obvious issues first. Take care of the big problems before hiring new staff to look for new issues that are dwarfed by what we already know. I urge support of my amendment, mr. Chairman. And i yield back. The chair the gentleman from georgia yields back. For what purpose does the gentleman from iowa rise . Mr. Latham move to strike the last word. I rise in opposition to the gentlemans amendment. Mr. Chairman, as you know, one of the very important functions of this committee is oversight. Ensuring agencies under our purview that are effectively and efficiently managed. The bill provides the amtrak o. I. G. With 25 million with oversight studies and investigations into fraud, waste and abuse at amtrak. Through these investigations, the amtrak o. I. G. Has helped improve the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of amtrak programs and operations. For example, amtrak o. I. G. Has identified improper or overpayments to the tune of the 91. 3 million. Amtrak has collected some of this back which has saved the taxpayer money. The impact of sequestration and unanticipated rail Employee BenefitCost Increases wreak havoc on the amtrak o. I. G. That forced him to suspend work on important investigations. Amtrak needs more oversight and not less. And i appreciate the gentleman pointing out all the problems at amtrak and the only person there to fix is it the o. I. G. Office. Reducing funding would not be in the best interest. The bills funding levels are not arbitrary. We scrubde these accounts. We have held hearings and made recommendations on what should be funded and where increases and reductions need to be. I urge a no vote on the amendment. And i yield back. The chair the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from georgia. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair the noes have it and the amendment is not agreed to. The gentleman from georgia. Mr. Broun recorded vote. The chair pursuant to clause 6, rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from georgia will be postponed. Clerk will continue to read. The clerk page 140 line 12, page 143 line 1, National Transportation safety board salaries and expenses, 103 million. Neighborhood reinvestment corporation, payment to the neighborhood reinvestment corporation, 132 million. United states Interagency Co