WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. French Hill (AR-02) today released the following statement after the House passed H.R. 7148, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 by a vote of 341-88, and H.R. 7147, Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026 by a vote of 220-207:
“By passing these final appropriations bills, House Republicans are demonstrating that regular order can still work in Washington. After years of relying on bloated, last-minute continuing resolutions and stopgap measures, we are moving back to a process where Congress debates and passes spending bills the way it is supposed to. That is how you get better outcomes and more accountability for taxpayers.
“These bills deliver for our troops and their families, strengthen border security, fund important medical research, and invest in critical infrastructure, all while saving taxpayers money. This is another step toward restoring fiscal discipline and responsible governance, and making sure the federal government is working for the people of Arkansas and the country.”
Background:
H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, includes appropriations for the following agencies: Labor, Health and Human Services, Education; Transportation, Housing and Urban Development; and Defense. H.R. 7147, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026, funds the Department of Homeland Security.
Here are a few items of note that were included in the four appropriations bills that passed the House today:
- Supports apprenticeship programs to build strong American working families and increases funding to train workers and educate students in rural America.
- $418 million for rural health, including increased funding for America’s rural hospitals.
- $1.9 billion to support community health centers.
- $49 billion for the National Institutes of Health for biomedical research to find cures for cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, rare diseases, and chronic diseases impacting Americans.
- Increases funding by $20 million for special education, including $5 million for rural education.
- $500 million for charter schools.
- Maintains funding for the Pell Grant’s discretionary maximum award level.
- Invests in transportation safety and rebuilds America by increasing funding for the FAA by $1.588 billion and providing the FAA with resources to hire 2,500 new air traffic controllers.
- Reinforces English language proficiency requirements for truck drivers.
- Champions America’s military superiority and provides a 3.8% pay raise for all service members and a 1% civilian employee pay increase.
- Bolsters public safety and homeland preparedness by enhancing resources to detect and counter the spread of deadly drugs like fentanyl.
- Strengthens U.S. national security and border protections by providing $513 million to sustain 22,000 Border Patrol agents.
- Invests $20 million to hire critical positions at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to counter the threat from China.
- Directs $20 million for the procurement, deployment, and operations of body-worn cameras for agents and officers performing immigration enforcement activities.
