Brady Votes 'Yes' to Keeping America Safe

Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2019, which provides funding for the Department of Defense. This is the fourth of twelve appropriations bill to be passed by the House this Congress. After final passage of the appropriations package, I gave the following statement: 

This week, we buckled down and took on Congress’s number one Constitutional responsibility – protecting our nation. This year’s defense appropriations bill takes steps to make sure our troops have the equipment, numbers, and support they need to do their jobs and keep our country safe. Our men and women in uniform deserve the best, and I am proud to support them through this important piece of legislation.

BACKGROUND: 
Each year, Congress passes a defense appropriations bill, which provides funding for our national defense. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the FY2019 defense appropriations bill, which provides $674.6 billion in funding to the Department of Defense. This includes: 

• $144 billion for Military Pay and Personnel, which includes a 2.6% pay raise for the troopsand an increase in troop numbers for active and reserve forces;
• $245.9 billion to provide our warfighters the tools and resources they need and includes $1 billion above President Trump’s request to fill readiness shortfalls;
• $92.4 billion for Research and Development, for projects including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, space security programs, and nuclear force modernization;
• $34.4 billion for Defense Health Program to provide care for our troops, military families, and retirees; and
• $200 million for the Israeli missile defense cooperative programs