Providing for Consideration of H.R. Preventing Irs Abuse and Protecting Free Speech Act; and Providing for Consideration of H.R. Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2017

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on H.R. 5293, the fiscal year 2017 Department of Defense Appropriations Act, and to recognize the hard work that the House Appropriations Committee's Defense Subcommittee has put into this bill.

I would also like to thank Chairman Frelinghuysen and all the members of the subcommittee and the Rules Committee for their work on this bill.

This legislation represents an opportunity for Members on both sides of the aisle to work together to provide our Armed Forces the resources they need to keep our country and Americans safe. We ask the courageous men and women who volunteer in our Armed Forces to confront global terrorism, and we must give them the tools to do so.

This year's Defense Appropriations bill, H.R. 5293, funds the programs that are not only essential to our national security, but critical to the welfare of our military personnel.

The Ohio Replacement Program is set to become the most dominant leg of our nuclear triad and is vital to our nuclear deterrence. This bill progresses that project.

Townsend Bombing Range is being expanded to accommodate the needs of the new fifth generation fighters coming online, and offers a unique training aspect for those planes located on the East Coast. This bill helps to clear up ongoing airspace concerns.

The A-10s, the most lethal close air support aircraft in the Air Force's inventory, will continue to be funded, ensuring our warfighters get the close-in air operations they need.

Cyber is, and will continue to be, a major issue for our military, and I commend the committee's focus on establishing cyber protection teams and partnerships with public universities.

End-strength has been another recurring issue, and this bill provides the necessary funding to reduce the strain on the men and women who serve.

Warfighters have also relied on the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar Systems, or JSTARS, for up-to-date information on enemy movements, and this bill ensures our legacy fleet can continue to fly until the Air Force completes this recapitalization program.

Lastly, this bill also provides support to the Army's combat aviation brigades through additional AH-64 Apache helicopters, and the Air Force's airlift capacity is strengthened under the engine enhancement programs for C-130s.

Chairman Frelinghuysen and the Defense Appropriations Committee have, again, done a tremendous job on making the difficult decisions to prioritize what is most needed for our Armed Forces. I commend the subcommittee on their work.

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