Although I join other conservatives in saying that I am disappointed by the omnibus spending bill, the bill does contain numerous good provisions that we should applaud, many of which are being ignored or lied about by some news outlets. For example, some news sources have claimed that the bill cuts the number of ICE's detention beds, when in fact the bill increases their number. Here are some of the good provisions in the bill:
* The bill increases defense spending by $80 billion. After years of neglect, this bill starts rebuilding our military by making the largest investment in 15 years. It provides $654.6 billion in both base and Global War on Terror/Overseas Contingency Operations funding, which is the biggest year-to-year increase since the beginning of the War on Terror. And it funds a 2.4% pay raise for the troops, the largest in about a decade.
* The bill includes $47.8 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, an increase of $5.4 billion over the last fiscal year.
* The bill provides $1.6 billion in extra funds for border security, including $641 million for new fencing (i.e., fencing that was authorized by the 2006 border security bill but was never built). This amount provides for more than 90 miles of “border wall system,” going beyond the White House budget request for a total of 74 miles in fiscal year 2018. It also includes:
- $170 million in surveillance technology
- $7 million to hire 351 new law enforcement officers
- $190 million for new aircraft and sensors
- $263.6 million for new, non-intrusive inspection and trade equipment
* Although some liberals want to abolish ICE, the bill boosts ICE's budget by nearly 10%. It provides provides $7.1 billion for ICE, which is $640.6 million above the fiscal year 2017 enacted level, a hike of nearly 10%. Within this total, the bill includes:
- $15.6 million to hire 65 additional law enforcement officers and 70 attorneys and support staff
- $2.2 billion, an increase of $79.6 million above the requested level, for domestic and international investigations programs, including efforts to combat human trafficking, child exploitation, cyber crime, visa screening, and drug smuggling
- $4.1 billion for detention and removal programs, including 40,520 detention beds, an increase 1,196 beds over fiscal year 2017. As mentioned, some news outlets have claimed that the bill cuts the number of detention beds, but this is not true: it increases their number.
* The bill puts teeth into NICS (the national database used for background checks for gun purchases) to force and reward states to comply with NICS reporting standards. This is long overdue.
* The legislation includes more than $21 billion for infrastructure projects across the country, including transportation, energy, water, and cyber. Even the Heritage Foundation has often pointed out that infrastructure spending is a sound investment that often more than pays for itself over time.
* The bill provides $295 million for the Veterans Employment and Training Service program, which is $16 million above the fiscal year 2017 level. This includes increases of $5 million for state grants, $5 million for the Transition Assistance Program, and $5 million for the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program.
* The bill increases funding for charter schools by $400 million, to a total of $58 million, something that the teachers unions did not want. Teachers unions hate charter schools and have tried to defeat them in every state where they've been proposed.
* The bill contains $700.8 million for the Small Business Administration to help promote opportunities for American small businesses to begin, grow, and prosper. This includes full funding to support $29 billion in 7(a) and $7.5 billion in 503 small business loans. Also included is $12.3 million for veterans programs.
* The bill cuts the budget for the District of Columbia (Washington, DC) by $34.9 million. The bill allots $721 million for DC, which is $34.9 million below the fiscal year 2017 enacted level.
* The bill prohibits any part of the DC funding from being used for needle-exchange programs.
* The bill prohibits any funds of the Federal Employee Health Benefits program from being used for abortion.
* The bill continues a prohibition on the transfer or release of Guantanamo detainees into the U.S.
* The bill continues the prohibition against closing Guantanamo (GTMO/"Gitmo"), and it includes a provision to prohibit funding for any facility within the U.S. to house detainees. The bill also includes $115 million in funding to build two new barracks to house service members stationed at Guantanamo. As someone who worked on GTMO for three years, I can tell you that new barracks for military members stationed there are definitely needed.
* The bill prohibits NASA and the Office of Science and Technology Policy bilateral activities with China unless authorized or certified via procedures established in the bill.
* The bill provides $1.4 billion to fund construction, operation, and maintenance of military family housing for fiscal year 2018. This is $133 million above the fiscal year 2017 level and $2 million above the budget request. The funding will ensure quality housing is sustained for all 1,388,028 military families currently served by the program.
* The bill includes $708 million for construction and alterations for new or existing military medical facilities, an increase of $404 million above the fiscal year 2017 level. This funding will allow for continued support and care for 9.8 million eligible beneficiaries, including our wounded troops abroad.
* The bill includes $3.1 billion for Israel, roughly double the amount of aid given to any other Middle Eastern country.
* The bill continues restrictions on the Palestinian Authority (PA), including a requirement to reduce funds to the Palestinians by an amount equivalent to that expended by the PA as payments to prisoners that committed acts of terrorism, prohibiting funding if there is a Palestinian government formed through an agreement with Hamas or if the Palestinians are not acting to counter incitement. The bill also includes a provision restricting Palestinians’ representation in the U.S. if they initiate or actively support an International Criminal Court investigation against Israel. The agreement continues a reporting requirement on steps taken by the PA to counter incitement of violence against Israelis.
* To respond to instability caused by Russia's subversion efforts, the bill increases funding for Ukraine and Georgia and provides $250 million for the Countering Russian Influence Fund authorized by Congress, which is $150 million above the prior year.
* The bill provides no funding for the UN's so-called Human Rights Council unless the Secretary of State determines that it is important to the national interest and the Council stops its anti-Israel agenda and ensures integrity in the elections of its members.
* The bill also prohibits funds for UN organizations headed by countries that support terrorism. Additionally, the bill withholds a portion of funds for the UN and international organizations until transparency and accountability measures are met, including by enforcing restrictions on business and first class travel.
* The bill provides no funds for the UN capital master plan in New York.
Government-Wide Funding Legislation Released | Committee on Appropriations, U.S. House of Representatives
https://appropriations.house.gov/up...y18_omnibus_-_homeland_security_-_summary.pdf
https://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/03.21.18_fy18_omnibus_-_milcon_va_-_summary.pdf
https://appropriations.house.gov/up...ibus_-_state_foreign_operations_-_summary.pdf
* The bill increases defense spending by $80 billion. After years of neglect, this bill starts rebuilding our military by making the largest investment in 15 years. It provides $654.6 billion in both base and Global War on Terror/Overseas Contingency Operations funding, which is the biggest year-to-year increase since the beginning of the War on Terror. And it funds a 2.4% pay raise for the troops, the largest in about a decade.
* The bill includes $47.8 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, an increase of $5.4 billion over the last fiscal year.
* The bill provides $1.6 billion in extra funds for border security, including $641 million for new fencing (i.e., fencing that was authorized by the 2006 border security bill but was never built). This amount provides for more than 90 miles of “border wall system,” going beyond the White House budget request for a total of 74 miles in fiscal year 2018. It also includes:
- $170 million in surveillance technology
- $7 million to hire 351 new law enforcement officers
- $190 million for new aircraft and sensors
- $263.6 million for new, non-intrusive inspection and trade equipment
* Although some liberals want to abolish ICE, the bill boosts ICE's budget by nearly 10%. It provides provides $7.1 billion for ICE, which is $640.6 million above the fiscal year 2017 enacted level, a hike of nearly 10%. Within this total, the bill includes:
- $15.6 million to hire 65 additional law enforcement officers and 70 attorneys and support staff
- $2.2 billion, an increase of $79.6 million above the requested level, for domestic and international investigations programs, including efforts to combat human trafficking, child exploitation, cyber crime, visa screening, and drug smuggling
- $4.1 billion for detention and removal programs, including 40,520 detention beds, an increase 1,196 beds over fiscal year 2017. As mentioned, some news outlets have claimed that the bill cuts the number of detention beds, but this is not true: it increases their number.
* The bill puts teeth into NICS (the national database used for background checks for gun purchases) to force and reward states to comply with NICS reporting standards. This is long overdue.
* The legislation includes more than $21 billion for infrastructure projects across the country, including transportation, energy, water, and cyber. Even the Heritage Foundation has often pointed out that infrastructure spending is a sound investment that often more than pays for itself over time.
* The bill provides $295 million for the Veterans Employment and Training Service program, which is $16 million above the fiscal year 2017 level. This includes increases of $5 million for state grants, $5 million for the Transition Assistance Program, and $5 million for the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program.
* The bill increases funding for charter schools by $400 million, to a total of $58 million, something that the teachers unions did not want. Teachers unions hate charter schools and have tried to defeat them in every state where they've been proposed.
* The bill contains $700.8 million for the Small Business Administration to help promote opportunities for American small businesses to begin, grow, and prosper. This includes full funding to support $29 billion in 7(a) and $7.5 billion in 503 small business loans. Also included is $12.3 million for veterans programs.
* The bill cuts the budget for the District of Columbia (Washington, DC) by $34.9 million. The bill allots $721 million for DC, which is $34.9 million below the fiscal year 2017 enacted level.
* The bill prohibits any part of the DC funding from being used for needle-exchange programs.
* The bill prohibits any funds of the Federal Employee Health Benefits program from being used for abortion.
* The bill continues a prohibition on the transfer or release of Guantanamo detainees into the U.S.
* The bill continues the prohibition against closing Guantanamo (GTMO/"Gitmo"), and it includes a provision to prohibit funding for any facility within the U.S. to house detainees. The bill also includes $115 million in funding to build two new barracks to house service members stationed at Guantanamo. As someone who worked on GTMO for three years, I can tell you that new barracks for military members stationed there are definitely needed.
* The bill prohibits NASA and the Office of Science and Technology Policy bilateral activities with China unless authorized or certified via procedures established in the bill.
* The bill provides $1.4 billion to fund construction, operation, and maintenance of military family housing for fiscal year 2018. This is $133 million above the fiscal year 2017 level and $2 million above the budget request. The funding will ensure quality housing is sustained for all 1,388,028 military families currently served by the program.
* The bill includes $708 million for construction and alterations for new or existing military medical facilities, an increase of $404 million above the fiscal year 2017 level. This funding will allow for continued support and care for 9.8 million eligible beneficiaries, including our wounded troops abroad.
* The bill includes $3.1 billion for Israel, roughly double the amount of aid given to any other Middle Eastern country.
* The bill continues restrictions on the Palestinian Authority (PA), including a requirement to reduce funds to the Palestinians by an amount equivalent to that expended by the PA as payments to prisoners that committed acts of terrorism, prohibiting funding if there is a Palestinian government formed through an agreement with Hamas or if the Palestinians are not acting to counter incitement. The bill also includes a provision restricting Palestinians’ representation in the U.S. if they initiate or actively support an International Criminal Court investigation against Israel. The agreement continues a reporting requirement on steps taken by the PA to counter incitement of violence against Israelis.
* To respond to instability caused by Russia's subversion efforts, the bill increases funding for Ukraine and Georgia and provides $250 million for the Countering Russian Influence Fund authorized by Congress, which is $150 million above the prior year.
* The bill provides no funding for the UN's so-called Human Rights Council unless the Secretary of State determines that it is important to the national interest and the Council stops its anti-Israel agenda and ensures integrity in the elections of its members.
* The bill also prohibits funds for UN organizations headed by countries that support terrorism. Additionally, the bill withholds a portion of funds for the UN and international organizations until transparency and accountability measures are met, including by enforcing restrictions on business and first class travel.
* The bill provides no funds for the UN capital master plan in New York.
Government-Wide Funding Legislation Released | Committee on Appropriations, U.S. House of Representatives
https://appropriations.house.gov/up...y18_omnibus_-_homeland_security_-_summary.pdf
https://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/03.21.18_fy18_omnibus_-_milcon_va_-_summary.pdf
https://appropriations.house.gov/up...ibus_-_state_foreign_operations_-_summary.pdf
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