Shelby Encourages Colleagues to Honor Terms of Budget Deal, Move Forward Together in Funding Government
Package Includes Critical Funding for Nation’s Defense, Largest Military Pay Increase in Decade
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the Senate will vote on whether to consider the first package of Fiscal Year 2020 (FY2020) spending bills passed by the House of Representatives, which includes measures for the Appropriations Subcommittees on Defense; Energy and Water Development; State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs; and Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies. With time running short before the start of the new fiscal year, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) encouraged his colleagues to work together to prevent unnecessary delays in funding for our men and women in uniform protecting us around the globe. Shelby urged his fellow members to vote in support of today’s motion, and to recommit to the terms of the bipartisan budget deal agreed to by both parties.
“Our national security is undermined by the failure of Congress to pass the military’s budget on time. The fiscal year ends soon, and this is no time for partisan politics. The terms of the bipartisan budget deal are designed to keep partisanship out of the appropriations process so we can do our job. Both parties agreed to those terms; both parties must uphold them for the good of our men and women in uniform and for our country. I encourage my colleagues to move forward in that spirit today, not revert to the partisanship and chaos of past budget years,” said Chairman Shelby.
If cloture is invoked during the Senate vote today, Republicans intend to bring up the Senate versions of the same four bills in the package passed by House Democrats. Information on each of the four Senate bills is below:
The FY2020 Department of Defense funding bill includes $694.9 billion. The recommendation includes $622.5 billion in base funding, $70.7 billion for overseas contingency operations funding in title IX of the bill, and $1.7 billion for emergency designated funding supporting disaster recovery efforts. The legislation also supports a military pay increase of 3.1 percent, the largest in a decade. Further, the funding measure includes significant investments in both basic research and future technologies such as hypersonics, 5G, artificial intelligence, missile defense, and cybersecurity. Click here for the bill text, report language, and full summary.
The FY2020 Energy and Water Development legislation provides $48.866 billion for U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) programs, including national nuclear security and energy research and development, as well as important infrastructure projects administered by the Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation. Click here for the bill text, report language, and full summary.
The FY2020 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs appropriations bill includes $55 billion to strengthen diplomacy and development, promote democracy abroad, provide critical assistance to allies, and continue life-saving global health and humanitarian assistance programs for the world’s most vulnerable populations. Click here for the bill text, report language, and full summary.
The FY2020 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill combines $178.3 billion in base allocation with $9.4 billion in changes in mandatory programs. This represents a one percent increase over the FY2019 enacted level – the same percentage increase the subcommittee received from FY2018 to FY2019. The measure continues investments in critical medical research, opioid abuse prevention and treatment, and education. In addition, the bill includes $492 million pursuant to the 21st Century Cures Act. Click here for the bill text, report language, and full summary.
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