Congresswoman Hartzler's Statement on House Approval of the FY 2015 Defense Appropriations Bill

Statement

Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (MO-4) has issued the following statement regarding House approval of the Defense Appropriations Bill for the 2015 fiscal year:

"This bipartisan effort gives our men and women in uniform the tools and resources they need to protect our nation from current and emerging threats. It supports key readiness programs to prepare our troops for combat and peacetime missions by providing for operations and addressing readiness shortfalls; it ensures a well-equipped, well-prepared force by providing for essential upgrades and procurement of platforms; and it prepares for future security threats by providing for research and development. The bottom line, however, is that we are facing a scarcity of funds due to sequestration, and drastic cuts to our military have been made.

I am happy that there are a number of provisions in this bill that closely mirror the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that we passed earlier this year. Those provisions, such as the funding for additional Growler aircraft, keeping the Apache helicopter with the National Guard, and rejecting proposals for cutting benefits and another round of Base Realignment and Closure are very beneficial for Missourians and Americans alike. I am particularly pleased that funding has been provided to save the A-10. There is no better aircraft to fulfill the military's critical close air support mission."

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