WASHINGTON – Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX), Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee, released the following statement upon passage of the final funding bills for Fiscal Year 2024.

“As Chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, I secured major funding important to our local economy and community, as well as that of our great state and nation,” said Congresswoman Kay Granger (R-TX). “In this legislation, Republicans curbed wasteful spending, provided border enforcement funding, and continued to provide our Armed Services with the critical resources they need to defend America.  As I have done since my first day in Congress, I will always advocate for the needs of the families in TX-12 and work to support the economic engines in North Texas.”

PROVISIONS GRANGER SECURED IN THE BILL:  

Creating and Supporting Jobs in North Texas Defense Industry 

• Funds 86 new F-35 Joint Strike Fighters built and assembled in TX-12.
  • Supports over 17 suppliers that represent over 49,000 direct and indirect jobs.
  • Funds the development, modernization, and engine enhancement of the F-35 aircraft produced locally in Fort Worth.

• Continues support for the Army’s Future Long Range Attack Aircraft (FLRAA) and provides six additional Navy V-22s worth $675 million, supporting an extensive Bell Textron presence in the Fort Worth area.

• In the metroplex, there are 15 suppliers and vendors who support the production, engineering, and manufacturing of the V-22 Osprey and the V-280 Valor.

• Provides the Army with a $160 million increase for Enhanced Night Vision Goggles and a $10.5 million increase for the Navy’s Sonobuoy modernization and development efforts, supporting an extensive Elbit Systems of America presence in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

• Includes other key initiatives, including:
  • Providing four C-130Js for the Air National Guard.

• Providing a $80 million increase for Army Styker vehicles.

• Reinforcing concurrent and proportional recapitalization for the Air Force.

• Supporting Army modernizations initiatives.

• Addressing the Air Force’s pilot production shortfall and other readiness concerns by ensuring adequate staffing, reducing strain on existing pilots, and enhancing overall operational capability.

Supporting Servicemembers and Their Families

• Funds the largest increase (5.2%) in basic military pay in over 20 years.

Expanding Infrastructure in the 12^th District

• Provides $808,000 for the City of Aledo’s wastewater treatment plant expansion, which will mitigate public health risks associated with over loaded treatment facilities. 

• Provides $3.2 million for the Southeast Downtown Transit Operations and Streetscape Design project, which will be used to make key improvements in downtown Fort Worth.   

• Provides $5 million for the expansion of the YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth meeting space, serving students and adults in four communities and four independent school districts.

• Provides $3 million for the Tarrant Area Food Bank to expand capacity, supporting families facing hunger, producers, and other food banks.

 Addressing the Border Crisis

• Increases funds to focus on border enforcement, which includes funding for 22,000 Border Patrol Agents and $125 million for increases in overtime pay.

• Provides a 20% increase for border security technology. 

Supporting Farmers and Ranchers

• Preserves funding for America’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.

• Allows the Secretary of Agriculture to review suspicious agricultural land purchases made by China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran.

Supporting and Protecting Veterans

• Fully funds veterans medical care, honoring our commitment to the brave men and women that have served our country.

Supporting America’s Allies and Taking On the United Nations

• Reaffirms our support to our ally Israel by fully funding the U.S.-Israel Memorandum of Understanding at $3.3 billion.

• Prohibits any taxpayer funding from going to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), a group that had known operatives involved in the October 7^th terrorist attacks.

• Eliminates funding for the United Nations Commission of Inquiry against Israel.

• Counters Chinese aggression by providing:
  • $300 million in Foreign Military Financing.

• $400 million for the Countering PRC Influence Fund.

• $108 million for International Security Cooperation Programs.