Fleischmann Funds Our Military, Fights for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Supports the National Institute of Health

Press Release

Congressman Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03) issued the following statement in response to the passage of the second FY 2019 "Mini-Bus" which includes funding for the Department of Defense (DoD), the Labor, Health and Human Services (LHHS) and Education Appropriations bills:

"There is no way to truly repay the debt of gratitude we owe to the men and women who honorably put on our country's uniform and fight tirelessly for the freedoms we enjoy every day," said Congressman Fleischmann. "However, the least we can do is provide our armed forces with the equipment and resources they need when risking their lives for us. This package provides a total of $674.4 billion to alleviate readiness shortfalls by updating Army equipment, ensuring our Navy's aircraft are mission capable, and addressing the extensive backlog of maintenance at our military facilities.

Congressman Fleischmann led an effort for increased funding to the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Capital Financing Program. The FY19 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Appropriation bill included $20 million dollars specifically for this program.

"Tennessee is home to Meharry Medical College, LeMoyne-Owen College, and Lane College, three HBCUs that educate and empower our young people to reach their highest potential. In my ongoing support of HBCUs, I was pleased to champion an effort for increased funding of the HBCU Capital Financing Program. This program gives qualifying colleges and universities the flexibility to defer payments for three to six years. Most importantly, this increased funding and financial flexibility will allow our communities to continue to prosper by investing in our institutions of higher learning.

Finally, this spending bill will enable the National Institute of Health (NIH) to continue groundbreaking research into Alzheimer's disease, the fight against cancer, and stopping the opioid epidemic. The NIH is known for their medical advancements and it is critical that we provide them the funds to save lives."

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