Scalise Applauds Funding for Border Wall, Military in Omnibus

WASHINGTON, D.C.—House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) released the following statement regarding the House’s passage of the omnibus appropriations bill:

“Today the House took action to fund President Trump’s priorities and implement the conservative agenda items we ran on. After years of decline under President Obama, we finally restore our military with the tools they need to confront the threats we face and keep us safe here at home. Additionally, we provide our men and women in uniform with a much-deserved pay raise, and ensure they are cared for when they come home by implementing reforms at the VA. Importantly, we also protect our homeland by funding construction of 100 miles of the border wall and bolstering our security at the border to stop criminals and drugs from entering our country. With that, we provide a significant increase in resources to combat the deadly opioid crisis that is crippling our country so we can help those who are struggling.

“Now, the Senate must act to send this bill to President Trump’s desk so he can sign it into law and start tackling these important issues we face.”

Summary of the omnibus provisions:

• Defense: Total FY18 is $659.6 billion (fully consistent with NDAA levels) to fund our national defense and provide our troops the 2.4% pay raise
  • FY18 defense levels are $61 billion over FY17 and will rebuild readiness, increase end strength, and ensures procurement for critical shipbuilding and aircraft
• Infrastructure: Over $21  billion for America’s infrastructure
  • Makes key investments in our nation’s bridges, roads, airways, railways, waterways, transportation safety, broadband, and rural infrastructure
• Veterans: $81.5 billion for the VA to provide the necessary medical care, construction, and modernization to reduce backlogs and fulfill unfunded requirements, while also increasing oversight of the VA
• NIH: $37 billion for NIH, a $3 billion increase over FY17 to fund additional research and development
• Opioids: $4 billion – the largest investment to date – to combat the opioid crisis and address prevention, treatment, and enforcement
  • Provides grants to states and localities to help offset law enforcement costs associated with opioid abuse and directs assistance to communities with the greatest need
• Mental Health: Nearly $1 billion for mental health programs as authorized in 21st Century Cures
• Customs and Border Protection: $2.9 billion (exceeds the Administration’s $2.7b request for FY18)
  • Over 100 miles of the Border Wall:  $1.571 billion for border assets and infrastructure to include 25 miles of new levee wall in TX ($445M), 8 miles of new bollard wall in TX ($196M), 63 miles of pedestrian replacement wall to include 14 miles in CA ($696M) and $196 million in border technology
  • $655.6 million for border and port technology: comms, surveillance systems, opioid detection, and National Targeting Center
• Law Enforcement: significant funding increases to enhance law enforcement, pursue prosecutions, and improve public safety
  • Increases funding for 100 immigration judge teams
  • Fully funds the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System
• School Safety: Over $2.3 billion in new funding for mental health, training, and school safety efforts to keep our kids and schools safe
• $3.1 billion for the US-Israel Memorandum of Understanding, over $700 million for Israeli Missile Defense, prioritizes foreign assistance for key allies and partners while empowering the Secretary of State to withhold funds for the UN
• Freezes overall FY17 level spending for the EPA and reduces funds for regulatory activities
  • EPA has been reduced $2.2b (21%) since FY10 and is at lowest staffing levels since 1988
• Sanctity of Life: continues all existing pro-life provisions, including the Hyde and Helms Amendments prohibiting the use of taxpayer dollars for abortion, and prevents efforts to roll back the administration’s expanded Mexico City policy
• Maintains all provisions to preserve Second Amendment rights
• Reauthorization provisions include:
  • Brownfields Law – reauthorizes and makes significant improvements and reforms
  • CLOUD Act – improves law enforcement access to data stored across borders
  • EB-5 – extension through September 30, 2018
  • H-2B – the provision is the same as FY17 and gives discretion to DHS Secretary, in consultation with Secretary of Labor, to adjust the cap
  • FAA – extension through September 30, 2018
  • Grain Glitch – fixes the “grain glitch” – a drafting error in tax law where farmers would get larger tax incentive by selling directly to co-ops than if they sell to a private company
  • NFIP – extension through July 31, 2018
  • Sexual Risk Avoidance Risk Education program – a technical correction to remove state match requirement
  • FIX NICS – reauthorizes the NICS Improvement Act, increasing records submission assistance for states, and requiring federal agencies to submit annual reports and certification of compliance
  • Forestry reforms – Forest management reforms to reduce forest fires, such as environmental streamlining, reduced litigation, and timber harvest contract certainty
  • Generalize System of Preferences – extends GSP
  • RAYBAUM – Reauthorizes the FCC for the first time in 28 years
  • Repack – Fulfills commitment to relocate broadcasters and ensures a successful repack process and timely availability of new spectrum
  • Safe Schools – provides local schools law enforcement, school personnel, and students with the tools they need to proactively prevent a threat
  • Secure Rural Schools – reauthorized for FY17 and FY18
  • Taylor Force Act – cuts off assistance that directly benefits the Palestinian Authority unless the PA takes credible steps to stop acts of violence and end payments for acts of terrorism
  • Wildfires and Disaster Cap Adjustment – includes a “fire borrowing fix” by creating a new wildfire cap adjustment under BCA