Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman French Hill (AR-02) issued the following statement after voting in support of bipartisan legislation to funds Energy and Water and Military Construction and Department of Veterans Affairs, which will now go to the president’s desk for signature:

“Since coming to Congress, I have said that the only way to get control of federal spending is to take charge of it and stop funding the government through short-term spending packages that are not faithful to the priorities of Arkansans, and today we have done just that. Today’s bill marks the start of a new era – getting spending bills done on time with the proper input of Congress and the American people. This bipartisan bill puts our Arkansas and American veterans first by providing the VA with resources necessary to implement critical reforms to that improve care and service to Arkansas’s heroes. We also fund infrastructure enhancements to our inland waterways and bolster our national security efforts by strengthening our cybersecurity and nuclear weapons programs. I’m proud of our work in the House to take this first step on behalf of all Arkansans, and I look forward to the president signing this bill into law.”

Background:

• The Conference Report for the Energy and Water Appropriations Bill equips the Army Corps of Engineers with the funding needed to improve the nation’s water infrastructure. This includes $3.2 billion for projects to update the waterways critical to facilitating commerce.
   
• Energy security is national security, and this bill helps protect our electrical grid from future attacks by putting resources toward research and development. It supports nuclear weapons security programs with $15.23 billion in funding for the Department of Energy.  
   
• This bill also provides $13.5 billion to Department of Energy research and development programs, so that we can better harness our natural resources and promote energy independence.  
   
• The Conference Report for the Military Construction and VA Appropriations Bill includes a total $10.3 billion for military construction projects, which is an increase of 2.4 percent from FY18 funding levels.
   
• The total number includes $1.6 billion to go toward housing the country’s 1.4 million military families, as well as $352 million for upgrading and constructing new medical facilities.

• It also contains $14 million for improvements to the hydrant fuel system at Little Rock Air Force Base in addition to a measure to move forward with improvements to the base’s runway.

• This bill provides $72.3 billion for Veterans Affairs medical care, including money specifically allocated for mental health, opioid abuse prevention, suicide prevention, and rural health programs. It also designates funds for the improved community care program being established by the reforms passed earlier this year in the VA MISSION ACT.