Hudson Votes to Prioritize Veteran Care, Support Military
June 8, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 8, 2018
Hudson Votes to Prioritize Veteran Care, Support Military
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-08), Fort Bragg's Congressman and a voice for North Carolina's veterans, released the following statement after voting in favor of the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act of 2019 (H.R. 5895):
“As Fort Bragg’s Congressman, I’m working on behalf of our service members, veterans and military families – the heroes who sacrifice for the greater good of our nation,” said Rep. Hudson. “This bill reflects my goal to prioritize spending to provide our active duty and retired troops with the best resources and support in the most cost-efficient, responsible way. It’s a small step, one that is absolutely critical of many, to fulfill our promises to our nation’s veterans and support the quality of life and health care they deserve.”
Today’s legislation goes hand-in-hand with this Administration and Congress’s ongoing work to improve veteran health care while giving veterans more choice and flexibility. Earlier this week, President Donald Trump signed the VA MISSION Act of 2018 (S. 2372), a bipartisan package to overhaul the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill provides $96.9 billion for FY19 to provide the care and support for our veterans and their families while also strengthening oversight and accountability at the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.
- $85.3 billion in discretionary funding for VA programs, $3.9 billion above FY18, including VA Medical Care, processing disability claims, VA construction, and the new VA electronic health record system.
- $10.3 billion for military construction to house military families, supports our troops overseas and their ongoing operations, and fund Guard and Reserve construction projects.
- $10.33 billion for MILCON which is $241 million above FY 2018 enacted levels. Just over $1 billion is dedicated to Army MILCON.
The Energy and Water Appropriations bill provides $44.7 billion for Fiscal Year 2019 and provides funding for the Army Corp of Engineers, Department of Energy, and our nation’s nuclear weapons security programs.
- $15.3 billion for DOE’s nuclear weapons security programs, an increase of $644 million over FY18, and includes funding for the Columbia-Class Ballistic Submarine and maintaining the safety and readiness of our weapons stockpile.
- $7.28 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers, $451 million over FY18, for our nation’s ports, waterways, and flood protection infrastructure.
- $13.4 billion for energy programs that will advance our “all-of-the-above” strategy for energy independence.
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