Congressman John Shimkus (R, Illinois-15) released the following statement after the House of Representatives approved an omnibus spending agreement for fiscal year 2018:
“First and foremost, my vote today was to restore our military readiness that was neglected during the previous administration. Our land forces have been reduced by 120,000 soldiers with the loss of 15 brigade combat teams, fewer than half of our Navy’s aircraft can even fly, and more military personnel are killed in training accidents than in combat. That’s unacceptable and that’s why, in addition to giving our troops their largest pay increase in eight years, the bill I supported today includes funding requested by the commander-in-chief to procure, replace, or upgrade 14 ships, more than 130 helicopters, more than 145 fighting vehicles, and more than 230 aircraft.
“Here at home, the bill exceeded President Trump’s request for Customs and Border Protection, and includes funding to build more than 100 miles of the border wall. Other important provisions include a fix to the ‘grain glitch’ 199A deduction, nearly $1 billion for mental health programs, $4 billion to combat the opioid crisis (the largest federal investment to date), $81.5 billion to care for our veterans, and more than $21 billion to improve our nations’ roads, bridges, railways, waterways and other critical infrastructure.”
A summary of the spending agreement can be found HERE.
