House Republicans’ THUD Bill Cuts Rental Aid, Prompting Sharp Democratic Opposition

House Republicans’ FY2026 transportation, housing and urban development appropriations bill prompted sustained Democratic objections during a July markup, with Democrats saying the measure would sharply reduce rental assistance and homelessness funding, weaken fair housing enforcement, and raise the risk of eviction for hundreds of thousands of low‑income households. Ranking Member James Clyburn (D‑S.C.) called the proposed cuts “devastating,” and urged a no vote.

Democrats said reductions to Section 8 renewals and other rental assistance accounts would increase homelessness and eviction risk. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D‑Conn.), the full committee ranking member, said the bill “shortchanges homeless assistance grants” and cited an estimate that the plan would leave roughly 28,000 fewer people receiving housing help through Continuum of Care programs. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D‑Fla.) said the legislation “threatens to push…