Washington, D.C. – Congressman Jim Banks (IN-03), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, today released the following statement after voting for an omnibus appropriations bill that funds the federal government through September 30, 2018:
“Today’s vote fulfills the commitment I made to rebuild our military and address our readiness crisis. This legislation provides vital funding for new ships, fighter jets and the Missile Defense Agency, while giving our service members their largest pay raise in eight years. A strong national security is a long-term investment, and this bill gives our military the tools needed to defend our country.
“The legislation also funds critical diplomatic and security missions, including upholding our commitment to key allies like Israel and eastern European countries. It prioritizes President Trump’s call to increase our border security by investing in border infrastructure and new enforcement technologies. The bill also contains important funding to help our veterans and address the opioid epidemic.
“While today’s vote temporarily ends the need for short-term continuing resolutions, it is clear that the congressional budget process is broken and must be fixed so that Congress stops governing from crisis to crisis.”
The House passed the legislation 256 to 167. It now heads to the Senate for consideration.
