Today, Congressman John Carter (TX-31) released the follow statement after the House passed both FY20 Consolidated Appropriations bills. These bills provide substantial investments for Ft. Hood, provide a pay raise for soldiers, prioritize national security, direct resources to school safety and support veterans.

“The funding that the House passed today makes critical investments for our country and in Central Texas, we will see these results firsthand. These bills will give our military members at Ft. Hood a 3.1 percent pay raise, and provide an additional $32 million for barrack renovations, so our soldiers have high-quality, safe living quarters. Providing the resources to the men and women in uniform that help them be successful on and off the battlefield is a top priority for me. 

"As the representative for the largest veteran population in Texas, I also fought to include measures that will support the wellbeing of our veterans through increased funding for mental health and suicide prevention programs, and provide over $1.8 billion to help end homelessness among veterans. This funding will go a long way in improving the lives of those who bravely served.

"Additionally, school safety programs will see an increase in funding, including additional resources for training law enforcement officers, so they can keep our communities secure. With the passage of this legislation, I believe we have made great strides to provide for the safety and well-being of Central Texans.”

Victories Congressman Carter Secured for Texas 31:

• $32 million for military construction for the Ft. Hood Army barracks. 
• 3.1% pay raise for military members.
• $5 million for the VA Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence.
• $18.5 million for the Army Unfunded Requirement vehicle bridge at Ft. Hood.
• $9.4 billion for the VA Mental Health and Suicide Prevention programs.
• $1.8 billion for VA Homeless programs.
• $132 million for the DoJ DNA Initiative which will help the vast number of untested rape kits so more offenders can be taken off the streets.
  • This includes $102 million for the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grants.
• Language was included to address sexual assault and juvenile justice reforms to support victims on military bases like Ft. Hood.
• $12 million for DoJ Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program.
• $10 million for the DoJ Protecting Our Lives through Initiating COPS Expansion Act (POLICE) grant program which provides training for law enforcement. 

Notable Highlights:

• Funds additional immigration judges to help address the backlog in immigration cases.
• Provides funding new border processing coordinators.
• Increases funding for DEA to crack down on drug trafficking and prosecute drug traffickers.
• Fully funds the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).
• $518 million for grant programs that support drug courts, prescription drug monitoring, at-risk youth programs.
• $1.5 billion to the VA to support the implementation of electronic health records system that is fully interoperable with DoD records so veterans may receive more efficient and higher quality care.

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Rep. Carter represents Texas District 31, which includes Fort Hood, the largest active duty armored military installation in the free world. He serves as the Rank Member of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee and the Vice Ranking Member of the Defense Subcommittee on Appropriations. Rep. Carter is the co-chairman of the Congressional Army Caucus.