When I became chairwoman of the House Defense Appropriations panel, I made a commitment to listen to our military leaders and do my best to provide them with the resources they need to accomplish their mission. 

 

The defense spending bill approved last week by House appropriators makes good on that promise – delivering the resources our military leaders have said they need to restore readiness and begin the long-overdue process of modernizing our armed forces. 

 

Under the fiscal year 2018 Defense Appropriations bill, the Pentagon would receive $658 billion. This includes $584.2 billion in discretionary funding – an increase of $18 billion above President Trump’s budget request, and $68 billion more than current year funding. 

 

I am pleased that this bill also recognizes the contribution that North Texas makes to our national defense by delivering some of the most advanced and sophisticated fighting equipment in the world. 

 

Among the programs that will have a local economic impact is $9.5 billion for 84 F-35 jet fighters, which is 14 more aircraft than requested in the president’s budget proposal. The bill also includes 12 V-22 Osprey helicopters, six more than requested by the president; two C-40 Clipper aircraft flown by the Marine Reserve and a total of 14 new C-130s, six of which will allow the National Guard to create a new squadron. 

 

Our current state of military unreadiness is a self-inflicted wound. Decades of declining budgets, deferred procurement, and nonstop deployments have left our armed forces undermanned, underequipped and undertrained. The indiscriminate cuts to discretionary spending imposed by the 2011 Budget Control Act are just the latest insult.  

 

Our uniformed leaders have said they need a force capable of dealing with no fewer than three simultaneous threats, an increased naval presence in the Pacific, and a robust nuclear deterrent, all the while defending our homeland and maintaining global counterterrorism operations.

 

The defense spending bill we advanced in the House is a major down payment toward strengthening our national defenses and ensuring the security of every American. I am proud to have done my part as chairwoman of the Defense Appropriations panel. 

Dear Friend,

When I became chairwoman of the House Defense Appropriations panel, I made a commitment to listen to our military leaders and do my best to provide them with the resources they need to accomplish their mission.

The defense spending bill approved last week by House appropriators makes good on that promise – delivering the resources our military leaders have said they need to restore readiness and begin the long-overdue process of modernizing our armed forces.

Under the fiscal year 2018 Defense Appropriations bill, the Pentagon would receive $658 billion. This includes $584.2 billion in discretionary funding – an increase of $18 billion above President Trump’s budget request, and $68 billion more than current year funding.

I am pleased that this bill also recognizes the contribution that North Texas makes to our national defense by delivering some of the most advanced and sophisticated fighting equipment in the world.

Among the programs that will have a local economic impact is $9.5 billion for 84 F-35 jet fighters, which is 14 more aircraft than requested in the president’s budget proposal. The bill also includes 12 V-22 Osprey helicopters, six more than requested by the president; two C-40 Clipper aircraft flown by the Marine Reserve and a total of 14 new C-130s, six of which will allow the National Guard to create a new squadron. 

Our current state of military unreadiness is a self-inflicted wound. Decades of declining budgets, deferred procurement, and nonstop deployments have left our armed forces undermanned, underequipped and undertrained. The indiscriminate cuts to discretionary spending imposed by the 2011 Budget Control Act are just the latest insult. 

Our uniformed leaders have said they need a force capable of dealing with no fewer than three simultaneous threats, an increased naval presence in the Pacific, and a robust nuclear deterrent, all the while defending our homeland and maintaining global counterterrorism operations.

The defense spending bill we advanced in the House is a major down payment toward strengthening our national defenses and ensuring the security of every American. I am proud to have done my part as chairwoman of the Defense Appropriations panel.