WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Kay Granger (TX-12), the chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations and vice-chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, made the following statement on the floor of the House of Representatives Thursday highlighting the national security provisions in the Fiscal Year 2016 omnibus federal funding bill:
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this omnibus Appropriations bill. My top priority is to ensure we provide for our national security. This omnibus does precisely that.
This is one of the most dangerous times in history. We must ensure that the United States remains not only the greatest country in the world, but also the strongest.
The United States and our allies face threats from countries such as Iran, Russia, China, and North Korea. Additionally, radical Islamic terrorists, such as ISIS, continue to threaten everything we stand for.
As chair of state and foreign operations appropriations and vice chair of defense appropriations, I am very proud of what this bill does to ensure resources are available to counter all of these threats.
We have worked hard to ensure that our military has the tools it needs. We fund the equipment required to confront our enemies head on, and we take care of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and their loved ones. Not only does the bill provide funds needed for training and readiness, it also funds critical family services.
Assistance is provided for our allies, including Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and Ukraine, who are our vital partners in this fight. To address security issues closer to home, we prioritize funds for counter-narcotics and law enforcement assistance in Mexico, Colombia, the Caribbean and Central America, including funds to stem the flow of unaccompanied children to our borders.
There are increased funds in the bill for embassy security and to prevent and protect against future terrorist attacks, unrest, and other acts of violence at home and abroad. The bill also includes provisions that will make our foreign visitor visa system more secure.
Passage of this omnibus is critical to ensuring America can continue to lead from the front in this very dangerous world.
I want to thank Chairman Rogers, Chairman Frelinghuysen, and Ranking Members Lowey and Visclosky for their tireless work on this bill.
I urge a yes vote.
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A video clip of the Congresswoman’s statement can be viewed here: https://kaygranger.house.gov/video/congresswoman-kay-granger-statement-house-floor-fy-2016-omnibus-spending-bill
Details of the Fiscal Year 2016 omnibus spending bill are available at https://appropriations.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=394337
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