Funding Bill for FY 2017

Press Release

Today I voted for an omnibus spending bill that funds the government for the rest of Fiscal Year 2017 which ends September 30th. While not perfect, it is a genuine compromise between Republicans and Democrats and overall it serves our country's interest.

Key points to know:

* U.S. Service Members at Fort Bliss and around the world get a pay increase of 2.1%, an increase from the 1.6% requested by the Obama Administration. Moreover, this bill blocks any decrease in troop levels.

* Students at UTEP, El Paso Community College and other institutions of higher learning will see the reinstatement of year-round Pell grants, which give approximately one million students an additional Pell grant of on average $1,650 dollars.

* The National Institutes of Health will see a $2 billion dollar increase in funding to help them in their mission to prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat disease and disability.

* The bill provides an additional 2,500 Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans who took on interpreting or other duties alongside the U.S. military after the 9/11 attacks and face retribution from the Taliban as a result.

* The Veterans Employment and Training Program is funded to the tune of $279 million dollars, an $8 million dollar increase over last year.

* It does not include funding to construct a new border wall, which shows reasonable voices of both parties understand that the wall is a poor use of resources and not needed at a time when the U.S.-Mexico border has never been safer. However, the bill does include $341 million dollars to replace and repair approximately 40 miles of existing pedestrian and vehicle fencing along the border. This money would be better spent going to expedite legitimate trade and travel. I will work to help ensure that no future funding goes to border walls.

The bill passed the House by a vote of 309--118, it is now off to the Senate where it is expected to pass and be signed by the President before the continuing resolution runs out on Friday at midnight.

Source