09.21.18

President Trump Signs First Appropriations Minibus Into Law

Package Provides Essential Funding for Veterans, Nuclear Security, U.S. Capitol Safety

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) today applauded the President’s signing of the first Fiscal Year 2019 appropriations minibus (H.R. 5895) into law.  The package, supported by Congress with overwhelming margins, includes funding bills for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Energy and Water Development, and the legislative branch.

 

“This critical funding will help transition our veterans to the new health care program they deserve and have earned,” said Chairman Shelby.  “The funding Congress will send to the President next week will continue a historic rebuilding of our nation’s military.  I am very pleased to help the President deliver on his commitment to America’s veterans and soldiers by providing robust and timely funding, through an open process and in a bipartisan manner.”

 

Earlier this month, with a vote of 92 – 5, the Senate passed the final conference agreement reached on H.R. 5895, the first of three Fiscal Year 2019 minibus appropriations packages.  The House passed the conference report shortly after the Senate with a vote of 377 – 20.  This minibus provides $97.1 billion to take care of our nation’s veterans and fund military construction, $44.6 billion to support U.S. Department of Energy programs and critical infrastructure projects administered by the Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation, and $4.8 billion to maintain essential operations and security of the U.S. Capitol, Congress, and support agencies.

 

This week, the Senate voted 93 – 7 to advance the Fiscal Year 2019 Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), Education final conference report (H.R. 6157), which also contains a continuing resolution through December 7, 2018, for any appropriations bills not enacted before October 1, 2018.  The House is expected to vote on the legislation next week, after which the package will be sent to the President’s desk for his signature.  The enactment of the Defense and Labor-HHS-Education minibus would mark the first time that America’s military will have been funded on time through regular order in a decade.