A comprehensive appropriations bill to fund U.S. government operations through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30 was released by the House Appropriations Committee on Monday, a measure that will boost funding for national defense, border security and other emergency needs.
U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, played a key role in guiding the Consolidated Appropriations Act, H.R. 244, which was the result of more than a year of careful work by the committee to explore the best use of taxpayer dollars.
“This legislation will fund critical federal government activities, including our national defense, and enact responsible funding decisions to target U.S. investments where they are needed the most,” Frelinghuysen said. “It also maintains and enhances policies that bolster economic growth and support the core values that our nation is built upon.”
The bill allocates $1.163 trillion in base and Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terror funding, including $93.5 billion for resources and training for U.S. troops in the field to combat ISIS and other enemies.
“It is time that we complete this essential work,” Frelinghuysen said. “It is a solid bill that reflects our common values and that will help move our nation forward, and I urge its quick approval by the Congress and the White House.”
In addition to a $25 billion increase in national defense funding over current levels, the measure also includes $1.5 billion to support additional efforts to boost border security and $8.2 billion in emergency and disaster funding.
U.S. Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), the chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS), applauded the committee’s release of the measure.
The part of the bill that Cole oversees is $2.8 billion less than former President Barack Obama requested last year and cuts total spending by $1 billion compared to last year, he said. “The bill was written with bipartisan input, and I am pleased that we were able to find common ground on both sides of the aisle,” Cole said.
The measure also shifts funding toward the nation’s top priorities, Cole said, including biomedical research, biodefense programs, education programs and efforts to fight opioid abuse.
“Further, in a major victory for President Trump, the Pentagon received $20 billion more than last year and $16.3 billion more than President Obama requested,” Cole said. “In another victory for President Trump, funding for border security increased by $1.5 billion.”
Cole also noted that LHHS provisions of the appropriations bill included $7.2 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and $12 billion to support children with disabilities, a $90 million increase from the previous year.
“I’d like to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for working diligently to develop a comprehensive, bipartisan funding bill that includes significant investments in some of our nation’s most vital programs,” Cole said. “This bill is a clear example that Congress can work together and I hope this trend continues into the negotiations for the fiscal year 2018 appropriations process.”