Today, Rep. John R. Carter (R-TX-31) supported, and the House of Representatives passed, the Make America Secure Appropriations Act (H.R. 3219) which includes language introduced by Rep. Carter to begin building a wall along our southern border to enhance our existing border security infrastructure.  The bill also provides funding for the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as the nation’s critical energy and water programs for the 2018 fiscal year.

Along with fulfilling the President’s $1.6 billion request for physical barriers on our southern border, the Make America Secure Appropriations Act, includes $658.1 billion for the Department of Defense, $78.3 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and $10.2 billion for military construction, including upgrades and construction for military housing.

Rep. Carter made the following statement on the legislation:

“Keeping Americans safe by investing in our national defense and protecting our homeland is my top priority. This funding bill provides the resources to secure our southern border, take care of our troops, and provide for those who have bravely served our nation.”

“This bill includes numerous priorities I specifically requested on behalf of Fort Hood including infrastructure upgrades, housing upgrades, and equipment modernization needs. Among these are funding for an increase in troops, accelerated ground combat vehicle modernizations, remanufactured and new Apache helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles. This legislation also provides for the largest pay increase for our military men and women since 2010.”

“We are also taking care of our Veterans. This bill provides a five percent increase in funding for the VA, assuring our Veterans have full access to their medical care needs. It also funds the integrated electronic health record system between the Defense Department and the VA so our brave service members are being provided with the best possible care.”

Bill Information:

For a bill overview, please visit:

https://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/national_security_package_one_pager.pdf

For a detailed summaries of the four bills, please visit:

-       Department of Defense Appropriations bill – https://appropriations.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=394930

-       Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill- https://appropriations.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=394909

-       Energy and Water Appropriations bill - https://appropriations.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=394941

-       Legislative Branch Appropriations bill - https://appropriations.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=394925

For the text of the legislation, please visit: https://appropriations.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=394925

For the bill reports, please visit:

-       Department of Defense Appropriations bill report–

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-115hrpt219/pdf/CRPT-115hrpt219.pdf

-       Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill report –

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-115hrpt188/pdf/CRPT-115hrpt188.pdf

-       Energy and Water Appropriations bill report-

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-115hrpt230/pdf/CRPT-115hrpt230.pdf

-       Legislative Branch Appropriations bill report-

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-115hrpt199/pdf/CRPT-115hrpt199.pdf

Rep. Carter represents Texas District 31, which includes Fort Hood, the largest active duty armored military installation in the free world. He serves as Chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Appropriations, co-chairman of the Congressional Army Caucus, is on the Subcommittee for Commerce, Justice and Science and the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.

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