WASHINGTON, DC -- Earlier this week, the 115th Congress passed the fiscal year 2017 Omnibus Appropriations bill to fund the federal government through September 30, 2017. The legislation prioritizes national defense efforts and border security, providing $25 billion more than last year for the Department of Defense (DOD) and a $911 million increase for Customs and Border Protection (CBP). This includes the largest pay raise in six years for U.S. troops. President Trump signed the bill into law today. 

"The United States has always maintained a powerhouse military operation and this funding will continue to support our men and women in uniform at home and overseas. We have prioritized readiness, training, and health care for our troops and their families," said Congressman Rogers, who continues to sit on the Defense Subcommittee on Appropriations. "The legislation also provides a boost for enhanced military equipment and state-of-the-art vehicles. I'm proud of the companies in southern and eastern Kentucky that have been awarded competitive contracts to manufacture some of the essential equipment used by our U.S. Armed Forces every day, including aircraft parts, drone operations and military gear."

The bill expands training and health care for our troops, ramps up the complex fight against terrorism, and increases support for our allies overseas. The Omnibus also constitutes the largest increase in border security funding in a decade. Specifically, the bill includes funding for:

National Defense

• Combating Global Threats – funds our ongoing operations against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and supports increased U.S. military presence in European nations being threatened by Russian aggression.

• Readiness and Training – supports readiness programs, increased flight and training time, as well as depot maintenance in order to ensure that our troops and their equipment are prepared for the demands of responding to worldwide threats.

• Health Care & Research – provides $34.1 billion for the Defense Health Program to provide comprehensive care for our active duty troops and retirees. The bill funds crucial research on cancer, traumatic brain injury, cancer, and psychological health.

Border Security

• Protecting Our Borders - Customs and Border Protection is receiving a $911 million increase in funding—which enable CBP to hire more agents, secure advanced border technology, and utilize new tools that will help stop the illegal flow of drugs and people across our borders.
  
  
• The end of “catch and release” - Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is provided additional resources for tens of thousands of detention beds, electronic monitoring, GPS tracking, and hiring of additional officers to tackle our nation’s illegal immigration crisis.
  
  
• Preventing & Investigating Crimes – ICE is allocated an additional $92 million to help improve capabilities to combat cybercrimes, drug smuggling, human trafficking, and child exploitation.  

To learn more about how the bill impacts Kentucky, visit halrogers.house.gov.