Houses Passes Defense Funding Bill Including Additional Navy Ships

Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL) today voted in favor of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2019. The bill passed the House on a bipartisan vote of 359 to 49.

Earlier this year, the House passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorizes defense programs. The Defense Appropriations Act provides the actual funding to support the policy and authorizations included in the NDAA.

Important to Southwest Alabama, the bill fully funds the construction of three Littoral Combat Ships, which are built by Austal USA in Mobile. Congressman Byrne has worked with the Alabama delegation and Appropriations Committee to ensure strong funding for the LCS program.

Congressman Byrne said: “Peace through strength should always be the position of the United States. There is no greater deterrent to war than a strong, fully equipped U.S. military. With this defense funding bill, we continue to rebuild our military and ensure our men and women in uniform have the resources they need to defend our nation.

“I’m also very pleased to see so many Alabama priorities adequately funded. Whether it  is Army Aviation at Fort Rucker or missile defense at Redstone Arsenal, this funding bill will ensure that Alabama remains a critical part of our nation’s national defense strategy.”

The bill includes important funding priorities for Alabama’s defense facilities and programs, including:

• Funding for three Littoral Combat Ships (LCS), which are built in part by Austal USA in Mobile;
• Funding for additional UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, Lakota helicopters, and Apache helicopters, which are critical to the Army aviation mission at Fort Rucker in the Wiregrass;
• Increased funding to address cyber threats to our missile defense systems, which benefits the mission at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville;
• $22.4 million for the Stryker Upgrade program, which will support the work at the Anniston Army Depot;
• Strong funding for THAAD, Hellfire, and LRASM missile programs, which are built by Lockheed Martin in Troy; and
• $9.4 billion for 93 F-35 aircraft, the future aircraft of Montgomery’s 187th Fighter Wing.

Congressman Byrne delivered a speech from the House floor in support of the FY19 Defense Appropriations Bill. You can find a transcript of Congressman Byrne’s speech below.

Congressman Byrne said: “I thank the gentlelady for yielding, and I appreciate her steadfast leadership on behalf of our nation’s service men and women.

“Mr. Speaker, we are in the process of a long-needed rebuilding of our nation’s military, and this funding bill will ensure the rebuilding process continues.

“I have spoken on this floor many times about the readiness crisis facing our military. We’re finally getting our planes back in the air and troops that are fully prepared to deploy. This readiness crisis hurts our overall national security, but it also puts our service men and women at greater risk.

“Last year, we lost four times as many service members in training accidents as we lost in combat.   We owe it to these men and women to do everything in our power to avoid more of these accidents.  That duty requires consistent and robust funding for all aspects of our defense.

“I’m pleased to say that this funding bill builds on the progress made over the last two years, and I am proud to support the Defense Appropriations bill and this rule.

“This bill sets aside $674.6 billion for the Department of Defense, which is consistent with the National Defense Authorization Act that passed out of this body earlier this year.

“Importantly, the bill will help us recruit and retain the greatest fighting force on the face of the earth. That includes full funding for a 2.6 percent pay raise for the military and an increase in overall end strength.

“The bill makes much needed investments in training and equipment acquisition to ensure our men and women in uniform have the resources and tools they need to safely and successfully defend our country.

“As Vice Chairman of the House Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee on the Armed Services Committee, I am pleased to see the bill make progress toward building a 355-ship Navy fleet. The bill funds the construction of 12 new Navy ships including three Littoral Combat Ships.

“The bill also funds the procurement of additional F-35s, F/A-18 Super Hornets, Black Hawk helicopters, Abrams tanks, and C-130J aircraft, among many others.

“Given the current threat environment, the bill invests in our nation’s missile defense programs and ensures support for some of our key allies around the globe.

“Mr. Speaker, peace through strength should always be the position of the United States. There is no greater deterrent to war than a strong, fully equipped U.S. military.

“I want to thank Chairwoman Granger and her subcommittee for their work on this legislation, and I look forward to a strong bipartisan vote later this week.”