Majority News Releases
SUMMARY: FY2019 Defense Appropriations Bill Approved by Subcommittee
Washington, D.C. - The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2019, provides $607.1 billion for the base budget of the Department of Defense, and $67.9 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations. U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Vice Chairman of the Subcommittee on Defense, said: "This defense bill makes investment in innovation a top priority for our Armed Forces and our Nation. Working with Chairman Shelby, we have written a bill that provides for the largest R&D budget in the hi… Continue Reading
06.26.18
SUMMARY: FY2019 Labor, HHS, & Education Appropriations Bill Gains Subcommittee Approval
Washington, D.C. - The fiscal year 2019 Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations bill provides a total of $181.2 billion in discretionary budget authority - $2.2 billion more than the fiscal year 2018 level and $11.9 billion more than the budget request. The total funding includes $179.3 billion in discretionary funding as well as $1.897 billion in cap adjustment funding to prevent waste, fraud, abuse and improper payments in the… Continue Reading
06.25.18
Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Leahy On Passage Of The FY 2019 "Minibus" Appropriations Bill
Today we are voting on final passage of the first package of Senate appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2019. This "minibus" contains three appropriations bills - the Energy and Water Appropriations bill, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill, and the Legislative Branch Appropriations bill. Chairman Shelby and I, working closely with Senator McConnell and Senator Schumer, have committed to getting the appropriations process back on track. Our strategy has been t… Continue Reading
06.21.18
Appropriations Vice Chair Leahy: Summary Of The Department Of Homeland Security FY19 Appropriations Bill
Washington, D.C. - The fiscal year 2019 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Bill provides a discretionary total of $55.151 billion, of which $6.652 billion is provided for Disaster Relief, as defined by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, and $165 million is provided for Coast Guard Overseas Contingency Operations funds. After excluding these two amounts, the net discretionary appropriation for DHS is $48.334 billion, $611 million more than the fiscal year 2… Continue Reading
06.21.18
Appropriations Vice Chair Leahy: Summary Of The Financial Services And General Government FY19 Appropriations Bill
Washington, D.C. - The fiscal year 2019 Senate Financial Services and General Government bill provides $23.688 billion to related agencies, which is $265 million more than fiscal year 2018, and $70 million more than the President's budget request. U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee, said: "This bill funds some of the key regulatory agencies, notably the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Co… Continue Reading
06.21.18
SUMMARY -- FY 2019 State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Bill
Washington, D.C. (Thursday, June 21, 2018) - The bill provides $54.418 billion in discretionary budget authority, including $8 billion in OCO. The allocation is $12.2 billion above the President's request as scored by CBO, and $400 million above the fiscal year 2018 enacted level. U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, said: "This bill is an example of the Congress rejecting the divisive, reck… Continue Reading
06.21.18
Vice Chairman Leahy Statement On The FY 19 Homeland Security, SFOPS, and FSGG Appropriations Bill
The Committee has three bills before us today - the State, Foreign Operations bill, Department of Homeland Security bill, and the Financial Services and General Government bill. I thank all of the Chairs and Ranking Members for their hard work. As the Ranking Member of the State, Foreign Operations Subcommittee, I will reserve my remarks on the bill until we turn to it. I will note that I worked closely with Senator Graham, as we always do, in drafting the bill, and I believe we produced a tr… Continue Reading
06.20.18
Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On The Senate Rejecting President Trump’s Rescission Package
The Senate has reinforced the bipartisan, bicameral budget deal struck by Congress four months ago by rejecting President Trump's shortsighted rescission package. The message that this vote sends at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue will be heard loudly and clearly. Here in the Senate, we are committed to making the appropriations process work again. The Appropriations Committee has reported seven, bipartisan appropriations bills, and we will consider three more tomorrow in committee. This w… Continue Reading
06.20.18
Vice Chairman Of Appropriations Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On President Trump’s Rescission Package
In just the latest example of the cut first and ask questions later policies of the Trump administration, we are voting on a bill today that would claw back billions of dollars from children's health insurance, affordable housing investments, infrastructure, rural development, and innovative energy programs. For a White House who just forced through Congress a $1.9 trillion tax giveaway to billionaires and corporations, to defend these cuts as necessary to reduce the deficit is laughable. It i… Continue Reading
06.19.18
SUMMARY -- FY2019 State & Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill Approved by Senate Subcommittee
Washington, D.C. (Tuesday, June 19, 2018) - The bill provides $54.418 billion in discretionary budget authority, including $8 billion in Overseas Contingency Operations. The allocation is $12.2 billion above the President's request and $400 million above the fiscal year 2018 enacted level. U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, said: "This bill is an example of the Congress rejecting the divi… Continue Reading
06.19.18
Vice Chairman Leahy Statement On the FY 2019 Energy & Water, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Legislative Branch “Minibus” Appropriations Bill
Today we open debate on the first Senate appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2019. The "minibus" before us contains the Energy and Water Appropriations bill, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill, and the Legislative Branch Appropriations bill. These bills have strong bipartisan support and are the result of hard work and compromise on the part of the Chair and Ranking Member of each Subcommittee. The Appropriations Committee has so far reported to the floor seve… Continue Reading
06.19.18
SUMMARY -- Senate Subcommittee Approves FY2019 Financial Services & General Government Appropriations Bill
Washington, D.C. - The fiscal year 2019 Senate Financial Services and General Government bill provides $23.688 billion to related agencies, which is $265 million more than fiscal year 2018, and $70 million more than the President's budget request. "U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee, said, "This bill funds some of the key regulatory agencies, notably the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Con… Continue Reading
06.19.18
SUMMARY: FY2019 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill Clears Senate Subcommittee
Washington, D.C. - The fiscal year 2019 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Bill provides a discretionary total of $55.151 billion, of which $6.652 billion is provided for Disaster Relief, as defined by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, and $165 million is provided for Coast Guard Overseas Contingency Operations funds. After excluding these two amounts, the net discretionary appropriation for DHS is $48.334 billion, $611 million more than the fiscal year 2… Continue Reading
06.14.18
Leahy Statement On Consideration of the FY 2019 Interior and Environment; Commerce, Justice and Science; and Legislative Branch Appropriations Bills
The Committee has three bills before it today-the Interior bill, the Commerce, Justice, Science bill, and the Legislative Branch bill. All three are the product of hard work and bipartisan cooperation by each of the subcommittees, and I urge members to support them. Chairwoman Murkowski and Ranking Member Udall deserve significant praise for this FY 2019 Interior Appropriations bill. This is no small accomplishment, as we have not had a bipartisan Interior Appropriations bill since Fiscal Y… Continue Reading
06.14.18
Summary of the FY 2019 Commerce, Justice, Science And Related Agencies Appropriations Bill
Washington, D.C. - The fiscal year 2019 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Bill provides a total of $63 billion in discretionary funding, $3.4 billion more than fiscal year 2018 and $2.7 billion less than the President's request. The CJS bill invests in a wide range of critical programs that affect the lives of all Americans. The bill provides $30.7 billion, $403 million more than fiscal year 2018 and $2.7 billion more than the President's request for the Dep… Continue Reading
06.14.18
SUMMARY -- Legislative Branch Fiscal Year 2019 Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON (THURSDAY, June 14, 2018) - The fiscal year 2019 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill provides $3.361 billion in discretionary budget authority, excluding items pertaining solely to the House, which total an additional $1.429 billion. Total funding accommodated in the bill is $4.790 billion, which is $90 million more than the fiscal 2018 enacted level and $159 million less than budget request. The bill provides critical increases for the Government Accountability Office, the Unite… Continue Reading
06.14.18
Summary Of The Interior, Environment, And Related Agencies FY 2019 Appropriations Bill
Washington, D.C. - The fiscal year 2019 Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies bill provides a total discretionary funding level of $35.853 billion, which is $601 million more than the fiscal year 2018 level and $7.586 billion more than the President's request. The bill does not contain poison pill riders. U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-New Mexico), Ranking Member of the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Subcommittee, said: "This bill represents the Senate's commitme… Continue Reading
06.12.18
SUMMARY: Senate Subcommittee Approves FY2019 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Bill
Washington, D.C. - The fiscal year 2019 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Bill provides a total of $63 billion in discretionary funding, $3.4 billion more than fiscal year 2018 and $2.7 billion less than the President's request. The CJS bill invests in a wide range of critical programs that affect the lives of all Americans. The bill provides $30.7 billion, $403 million more than fiscal year 2018 and $2.7 billion more than the President's… Continue Reading
06.12.18
SUMMARY -- Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Approves FY 19 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill
Washington, D.C. - The fiscal year 2019 Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies bill provides a total discretionary funding level of $35.853 billion, which is $601 million more than the fiscal year 2018 level and $7.586 billion more than the President's request. The bill does not contain poison pill riders. U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-New Mexico), Ranking Member of the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Subcommittee, said: "This bill represents the Senate's commitm… Continue Reading
06.07.18
Summary Of The FY 2019 Transportation, Housing And Urban Development, And Related Agencies Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON (TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2018) - The fiscal year 2019 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Senate Appropriations bill provides a total of $71.417 billion in discretionary budget authority - $1.117 billion more than fiscal year 2018 and $23.421 billion more than the budget request. Additional resources are provided to prevent and end homelessness among veterans, youth, and victims of domestic violence, as well as to maintain existing rental housing assist… Continue Reading