03.04.15

Mikulski Applauds President Signing DHS Funding into Law, Marking Completion of FY15 Appropriations

 
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Vice Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued a statement in response to the President signing a full year Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations bill.  All 12 fiscal year 2015 appropriations bills are now law.  H.R. 240 provides critical resources to the 230,000 men and women who are on the front lines every day making this nation safer.
 
“With the President signing the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill, we have now completed the appropriations process for fiscal year 2015.” Senator Mikulski said. 
 
“For two years straight, Congress has enacted all 12 of the appropriations bills.  It is my hope that Congress will build on that progress and end the era of divisive shutdown, slamdown politics.  The millions of men and women serving in our military and in our civil service, who work every day to make this a better nation, deserve respect and the resources to do their jobs.  Congress should not make their work harder with constant threats of shutdowns and furloughs.
 
“Americans deserve a government that works as hard as they do.  Congress should work on a bipartisan basis to put money in the federal checkbook for programs that create jobs, grow our economy and make our nation healthier and safer.
 
“I look forward to working across the aisle and across the dome on completing the spending bills for fiscal year 2016 in an orderly way and without poison pill riders.
 
“The Homeland Security Act provides DHS the funds needed to protect our homeland and meet the needs of our national programs, such as the Coast Guard, Border Patrol, Customs, Secret Service and the Transportation Security Administration.  But protection and response begins in local communities, which is why we put money into the federal checkbook for grants that go out to our local police, firefighters and EMS to buy the equipment and get the training they need to keep our communities safe.”
 
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