The Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously approved its version of the fiscal year (FY) 2017 Transportation and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Appropriations bill this week.  The bill totals $56.5 billion, an $827 million decrease from FY2016 enacted levels and $2.9 billion below the President’s budget request.  The bill provides highway and transit dollars consistent with the levels included in the recently-enacted surface transportation authorization bill, the FAST Act.  For HUD’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, the bill provides $3 billion (level funding with last year and $200 million above the President’s request).  The bill provides $950 million for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (level funding with last year and the President’s request).