Families of Fallen Servicemembers First Act

Mr. Chair, I want to thank Chairwoman Granger and Ranking Member Visclosky for shepherding H.R. 6157, the ``Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2019,'' to the floor and for their devotion to the men and women of the Armed Forces who risk their lives to keep our nation safe.

Jackson Lee Amendment No. 12 increases funding for the PTSD by $5 million.

These funds should be used toward outreach activities targeting hard to reach veterans, especially those who are homeless or reside in underserved urban and rural areas, who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Mr. Chair, along with traumatic brain injury, PTSD is the signature wound suffered by the brave men and women fighting in Afghanistan, Iraq, and far off lands to defend the values and freedom we hold dear.

For those of us whose daily existence is not lived in harm's way, it is difficult to imagine the horrific images that American servicemen and women deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other theaters of war see on a daily basis.

In an instant a suicide bomber, an IED, or an insurgent can obliterate your best friend and right in front of your face.

Yet, you are trained and expected to continue on with the mission, and you do, even though you may not even have reached your 20th birthday.

But there always comes a reckoning. And it usually comes after the stress and trauma of battle is over and you are alone with your thoughts and memories.

And the horror of those desperate and dangerous encounters with the enemy and your own mortality come flooding back.

PTSD was first brought to public attention in relation to war veterans, but it can result from a variety of traumatic incidents, such as torture, being kidnapped or held captive, bombings, or natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes.

People with PTSD may startle easily, become emotionally numb (especially in relation to people with whom they used to be close), lose interest in things they used to enjoy, have trouble feeling affectionate, be irritable, become more aggressive, or even become violent.

They avoid situations that remind them of the original incident, and anniversaries of the incident are often very difficult.

Most people with PTSD repeatedly relive the trauma in their thoughts during the day and in nightmares when they sleep.

These are called flashbacks; a person having a flashback may lose touch with reality and believe that the traumatic incident is happening all over again.

Mr. Chair, the fact of the matter is that most veterans with PTSD also have other psychiatric disorders, which are a consequence of PTSD.

These veterans have co-occurring disorders, which include depression, alcohol and/or drug abuse problems, panic, and/or other anxiety disorders.

Jackson Lee Amendment No. 12 recognizes that these soldiers are first and foremost, human, who live their experiences.

Ask a veteran of Vietnam, Iraq, or Afghanistan about the frequency of nightmares they experience, and one will realize that serving in the Armed Forces leaves a lasting impression, whether good or bad.

Jackson Lee Amendment No. 12 will help ensure that ``no soldier is left behind'' by addressing the urgent need for more outreach toward hard to reach veterans suffering from PTSD, especially those who are homeless or reside in underserved urban and rural areas of our country.

I urge all Members to support Jackson Lee Amendment No. 12.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chair, let me first thank Chairwoman Granger and Ranking Member Visclosky and the staff for shepherding this legislation.

My amendment provides flexibility for the Secretary of Defense to allocate resources needed to provide technical assistance by U.S. military women to military women in other countries combating violence as a weapon of war, terrorism, human trafficking, and narcotics trafficking, to ameliorate their impact on women and girls across the globe.

More and more, we are seeing that, in the countries where terror is perpetrated, more women are being allowed to be part of their military.

We know of the growing leadership of women in our military, rising in responsibility and rank throughout all of the services.

As a member of the Afghan task force, which I co-chaired for a number of years, I have seen women leadership dealing with peace around the world.

The purpose of my amendment is to provide the Secretary of Defense flexibility to work with military women in the United States, for them to interact with military women face-to-face, one-on-one, as they work to develop security measures that, in particular, will protect women and girls.

Women and girls are more subject to human trafficking. They are more subject to being victims of narcotics trafficking. They are more subject to being victims of war and terrorism as they try to protect their families.

I remember, in the early stages of the Afghan war and after the attempt with the new President to begin to write a constitution in Afghanistan, one of the issues was to elect more women at that time.

We did do that. I met those women who were in the Afghan Government. But, tragically, in the period of time that we left to go to Iraq, many of those women were killed as they went to their home districts.

So the idea of protecting women through women who are in the military, or to develop strategies, is very important.

Mr. Chairman, I ask my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee amendment to foster peace and relationships and the interaction between women here in the United States, with their expertise, and women who are now rising in various militaries in countries where terrorism is raging, to be able to help those women as well.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Chairwoman Granger and Ranking Member Visclosky for shepherding this legislation to the floor and for their devotion to the men and women of the Armed Forces who risk their lives to keep our nation safe and for their work in ensuring that they have resources needed to keep our Armed Forces the greatest fighting force for peace on earth.

Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to explain my amendment, which is simple and straightforward and affirms an example of the national goodness that makes America the most exceptional nation on earth.

The purpose of Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1 is to provide the Secretary of Defense flexibility to allocate resources needed to provide technical assistance by U.S. military women to military women in other countries combating violence as a weapon of war, terrorism, human trafficking, narcotics trafficking.

Mr. Chairman, the United States is committed to combating violent extremism, protecting our borders and the globe from the scourge of terrorism.

The United States Armed Forces possess an unparalleled expertise and technological capability that will aid not only in combating and defeating terrorists who hate our country and prey upon innocent persons, especially women, girls, and the elderly.

But we must recognize that notwithstanding our extraordinary technical military capabilities, we face adversaries who adapt very quickly because they are not constrained by geographic limitations or norms of morality and decency.

Al Qaeda, Boko Haram, Al Shabaab, ISIS/ISIL and other militant terrorists, including the Sinai's Ansar Beit al-Maqdis in the Sinai Peninsula which poses a threat to Egypt.

Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1 help provide the Department of Defense with the resources needed to provide technical assistance to countries on innovative strategies to provide defense technologies and resources that promote the security of the American people and allied nation states.

Terrorism, human trafficking, narcotics trafficking and their impact on women and girls across the globe has had a great adverse impact on us all.

According to a UNICEF report, rape, torture and human trafficking by terrorist and militant groups have been employed as weapons of war, affecting over twenty thousand women and girls.

Looking at the history of terrorism highlights the importance of providing technical assistance through our military might, as this enables us to combat terrorism which now can plague us here in the United States.

Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1 will help curb terrorism abroad by making available American technical military expertise to military in other countries, like Nigeria, who are combating violent jihadists in their country and to keep those terrorists out of our country.

Time and again American lives have been lost at the hands of terrorists.

These victims include Christians, Muslims, journalists, health care providers, relief workers, schoolchildren, and members of the diplomatic corps and the Armed Services.

This is why the technical assistance offered by our military personnel is integral to promoting security operation of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft for missions to empower local forces to combat terrorism.

Terrorists across the globe have wreaked havoc on our society and cannot not be tolerated or ignored, for their actions pose a threat to our national security and the security of the world.

Mr. Chairman, from the United States to Africa to Europe to Asia and the Middle East, it is clear that combating terrorism remains one of highest national priorities.

Collectively, helping our neighbors and their military build capacity to combat terrorism, eradicate human trafficking, stop narcotics trafficking and negate their impact on women and girls across the globe serves our national interest.

I urge my colleagues to support Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairwoman for her understanding and graciousness, as well as I thank the ranking member. This is something I have worked on over the years.

Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have remaining?

Mr. Chairman, I want to emphasize that terrorism, human trafficking, narcotics trafficking, and their impact on women and girls across the globe has had a great adverse impact on us all.

According to a UNICEF report, rape, torture, and human trafficking by terrorists and militant groups have been employed as weapons of war, affecting more than 20,000 women and girls. I am sure that number has grown.

We are all well aware of the Chibok girls taken in Nigeria as victims of Boko Haram. I am grateful for this amendment because the victims have included Christians, Muslims, journalists, healthcare providers, relief workers, schoolchildren, and members of the diplomatic corps and the armed services. Working with our women in the United States military and our efforts with strategy will be an effective tool in helping women across the world.

Mr. Chairman, I ask my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chair, I am pleased to bring the Defense Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2019 to the House floor for consideration.

Congress' number one responsibility is to provide for the defense of this Nation. It is this bill that fulfills that most fundamental constitutional duty.

Last year, General Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said: ``The U.S. military's competitive advantage against potential adversaries is eroding. Over the last decade, sustained operational commitments, budgetary instability, and advances by our adversaries have threatened our ability to project power and we have lost our advantage in key warfighting areas.''

My approach to funding this bill is based on that statement. The priorities funded in this bill not only stop the erosion, but also enable our military to restore and increase the competitive advantage. This is all possible because of the bipartisan budget agreement which has allowed us to provide the necessary resources.

The fiscal year 2018 Defense Appropriation Act took the first step in rebuilding our military by addressing the toll taken on readiness, and began to make investments to improve our competitive advantage.

Building on the gains we made in 2018 and guided by the new National Defense Strategy, the bill before you is the next critical step to enable Secretary Mattis to build a more lethal, resilient, and rapidly innovating joint force that can defeat the adversaries we face today and those we will face in the future.

The bill also supports the Secretary's efforts to work by, with, and through our allies and partners to help share the burden while protecting America's interests around the world.

This bill reflects the advice the subcommittee received in hearings, briefings, and meetings with Secretary Mattis, Chairman Dunford, the leadership of the military services, the Intelligence Committee, and other national security experts.

The bill provides a total of $675 billion to the Department for fiscal year 2019. This is $19 billion above the fiscal year 2018 level and is consistent with total funding level in the House-passed authorization bill.

The bill provides full funding to address military personnel needs, including: full funding for an additional 16,400 active, guard and reserve soldiers, sailors and airmen. And full funding for the 2.6 percent pay raise for our troops.

The bill provides critical funding to repair and improve our military readiness, including $1 billion over the request for training and equipping our troops, including the National Guard and Reserve, and for training, equipment, maintenance and spare parts, and base operations.

It includes $21 billion for depot maintenance to get our planes and ships back in working order.

For procurement, the bill provides adequate funding to modernize the force. Major investments include: increased funds for Strykers, Abrams tanks, Humvees, and other ground mobility vehicles.

And to maintain air superiority, we provide increases for key platforms such as the Joint Strike Fighter, Apaches, Lakotas, Ospreys, Black Hawks, and C-130s.

We maintain our commitment to the National Guard and Reserve components, providing $1.3 billion over the request, specifically for their equipment needs.

For shipbuilding, we fund 12 Navy ships, 2 more than requested.

To ensure our technological edge against our adversaries, $95 billion is included for research and development.

We keep our commitment to take care of our servicemembers and their families by providing over $34 billion for defense health programs, including $752 million over the request for medical research.

To address growing concerns on and around our military bases, we include over $1.2 billion to address environmental remediation and restoration.

For ongoing global war on terrorism operations, the bill provides funding for additional intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance for the warfighter, and $250 million for Ukraine.

Given the serious challenges and significant resources at stake, the committee continues to exercise strong oversight over the Department to ensure that our constituents' tax dollars are being spent wisely.

Mr. Chair, I want to thank my ranking member and partner, Mr. Visclosky. His input has been invaluable. The bill before us is better because of his involvement.

I also want to thank our full committee ranking member, Mrs. Lowey, for her support for this important work done in this bill. Most importantly, I want to thank my full committee chairman and the previous subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen), for his leadership and his support.

Sadly, this is the last Defense Appropriation bill that the chairman will manage in Congress.

Throughout his service, he has shown an unwavering commitment to the needs of our military and intelligence communities. I will miss his wise counsel and steadfast commitment to the members of our military services.

I want to thank all Members for their participation and input as we put together this bill. The subcommittee received over 6,600 requests from Members. The bill incorporates their ideas and recommendations, and I thank them for their continued support.

I would like to personally thank our hardworking staff for helping make this bill possible. On our majority staff: Jennifer Miller, Walter Hearne, Brooke Boyer, B. G. Wright, Allison Deters, Collin Lee, Matt Bower, Jackie Ripke, Hayden Milberg, Bill Adkins, Sherry Young, and Barry Walker.

On our minority staff: Becky Leggieri, Jennifer Chartrand, and Chris Bigelow. On my personal staff: Johnnie Kaberle, Jon Fay, and Spencer Freebairn.

In closing, Mr. Chairman, the Defense Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2019 is a great bill that takes the next critical step in rebuilding our military.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. Chairman, I yield 6 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen), who is the chairman of the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Womack), a member of the Defense Subcommittee.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Rutherford), a member of Appropriations Committee.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bacon).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole), a distinguished member of the Defense Subcommittee.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition, but I am not opposed to the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentlewoman's concerns. It is important to discuss these important issues. I will continue to work with the gentlewoman and the department to ensure that these issues are addressed.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. McKinley) for the purpose of engaging in a colloquy.

Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I appreciate the gentleman's concern to provide adequate funding for arthritis research. I am a strong supporter of funding in this area.

Each year, Congress provides funding for medical research through the Defense Health Program. Arthritis research previously has received millions of dollars in research grants.

I do appreciate his interest and engagement on behalf of our warfighters. I agree to work with the gentleman from West Virginia on this important topic.

Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from West Virginia.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Amendment No. 2 Offered by Mr. Lowenthal

Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition, but I don't oppose the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, the STARBASE program supports programs to improve the interests and skills of students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Military volunteers engage students through experimental learning, and the program has a proven record of success. As a result, the committee provided an additional $30 million in the bill for the STARBASE program.

Mr. Chairman, I am prepared to accept the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program is a youth development program that works to improve the life skills and employment potential of our youth through military base training and supervised work experience. Like my colleague, I support this important program.

This is why the bill includes $175 million to support the program. An additional $6 million will allow the program to have a similar budget to the FY18 level.

Mr. Chairman, I support the gentlewoman's amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment, even though I am not opposed to it.

Mr. Chair, I share the gentleman's support of the veterans who bravely served our country and were exposed to radiation during nuclear weapons tests. Military commanders have numerous personal military declarations, such as meritorious service medals, commendation medals, and achievement medals available to appropriately recognize members for their specific actions or sustained meritorious service. However, recognizing these individuals for their sacrifice is a very good idea; therefore, I support the gentleman's amendment.

I yield to the gentleman from Indiana.

Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

(Mr. VISCLOSKY asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Chairman, I would like to start by expressing my appreciation for how Chairwoman Granger has conducted the business of this subcommittee. Her abiding priority has remained the safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of every man and woman in uniform. Additionally, she has taken a thoughtful and bipartisan approach to our work. She has been transparent, considerate of every Member's request in this body, and is a fierce defender of the oversight responsibilities and constitutional prerogatives of the Congress.

I would also like to express my gratitude to Chairman Frelinghuysen, Ranking Member Lowey, and the other members of the subcommittee for their efforts. This legislation would not have happened without the incredibly skilled staff that the chairwoman has just enumerated, and I will join her in thanking them for their outstanding work.

I would also be remiss if I did not also use a portion of my time to recognize that this will be the last time I will manage time on a Defense appropriations bill with my very good friend, Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen, on the floor with us. He is a consummate gentleman, decent to his core, a tireless advocate for the people he represents, and always working for the best interest of our Nation and those wearing its uniform. He will be sorely missed, and this body will be lesser without him. I thank him for his service, and I thank him deeply for his friendship.

With regards to the matters before us, I would like to begin by calling attention to an issue of great importance to me: the full integration of women in the military. Female servicemembers are invaluable to the defense of our Nation. For the majority of the time that they have been allowed in the military, women have had to assimilate into a culture established by men for men. This is not the best way to maximize the effectiveness of our armed services.

While I appreciate the opening of combat career fields to women and the Department's emerging effort to ensure that combat equipment is designed and fitted for female servicemembers, I would submit that these are immediate-term solutions.

Bluntly, the rate at which women leave the service is detrimental to its readiness. Some of the reasons for their departures are glaringly obvious and will be difficult to overcome because they will require cultural and significant policy changes. But I am pleased that the House Armed Services Committee in their fiscal year 2019 authorization bill has taken a step to establish a female retention baseline and developed ways to improve female retention. Initiatives like these will help the Appropriations Committee to better focus funding where it can be most effective.

Specific to the bill, the chairwoman has provided an accurate summary, but there are a few areas I would like to highlight. This bill increases funding by almost $200 million above the budget request for several important environmental cleanup accounts. The subcommittee under Chairwoman Granger and previously under Chairman Frelinghuysen has been very proactive on emergency environmental issues, including those caused by firefighting chemicals. Those living on or near military facilities and everyone throughout our country should not have to worry about access to clean drinking water.

Oversight of the management and expenditure of $674 billion is a core function of this subcommittee. As such, this bill contains several cuts to accounts that have large, unobligated balances or have under executed. The funds generated by those cuts have been invested in programs and initiatives that provide more benefit to our country and the warfighter. Unlike the recently debated and much-ballyhooed rescission bill, these are actions of real substance that will benefit the taxpayer.

I believe good oversight is fostered by constructive and informed dialogue between the committee and the agencies. Oversight cannot be effective when proposals are presented at the last minute with the intention of forcing a decision. Oversight cannot be effective when complex changes to a program are first communicated to the legislative branch through the media. I have great respect for the service secretaries and chiefs, but there needs to be an improvement in the timeliness and quality of communication. The committee report to accompany this bill contains several sections encouraging the department as a whole and with a special focus on the Army to adhere to congressional direction, increased transparency for budget exhibits, and improve the quality and timeliness of communication.

I am cautiously optimistic that the bipartisan budget agreement, which provided relief from the Budget Control Act, will provide a pathway for completing the fiscal year 2019 bills in a somewhat timely manner. However, the next two fiscal years present daunting obstacles to make it even more important to complete our work as soon as possible.

Most obvious is the return of the BCA caps for fiscal year 2020, which if left unchanged will require the department's base funding to be reduced by $71 billion from the level provided in this bill. A reduction of that magnitude would cause great disruption. Inexplicably, multiple Congresses have managed to alleviate the budget caps for 7 of 8 years, but only after significant and protracted political theater. I know the senior leaders in the Pentagon are not taking chances and have begun to identify programs to cut in 2020 that will carry the least associated risk for the warfighter if these caps are not adjusted.

Additionally, senior military leaders have testified that arresting the erosion of our military's competitive advantage requires real budget growth of at least 3 percent above inflation through 2023, and that increasing that competitive advantage would require even higher growth. I agree with the assessment that we need to make smart investments, but I do not believe a growth rate of that magnitude is sustainable. Unless we act responsibly on the revenue side of the budget and address entitlements in a meaningful fashion, the money will not be there.

While we are on the floor today debating the funding for the DOD bill, we must consider that maintaining our competitive advantage in defense also requires other investments that we do not immediately equate with military matters. As only 29 percent of Americans aged 17 to 24 qualify for military service, investments in our youth, difficult-to-retain populations, education, and public health are equally important.

Since fiscal year 2016, the annual funding level for the Department of Defense has increased by $100 billion. To put this into context, a $100 billion increase is larger than the annual budget for the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, and the Department of Transportation. It is greater than the combined annual budgets of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of the Interior.

Finally, I remain concerned that while we have seen plenty of long- awaited, long-term planning and strategy documents generated by the Pentagon and the White House over the last 500 days, the bulk of our ongoing military operations continue to be authorized by legislation from 17 years ago. There have been four Presidential elections and eight congressional elections since 2001 and its Authorization for Use of Military Force. I am disappointed that the Rules Committee did not make in order any amendments on this matter. It is a shame that this Congress cannot muster the will to even talk about this important issue.

Mr. Chairman, in closing, I, again, thank the chairwoman for her great effort and her true partnership, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey), the ranking member of the committee.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum), the ranking member of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), ranking member of the Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar), a member of the Committee on Appropriations as well as the Subcommittee on Defense Appropriations.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), the ranking member of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman).

Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly).

Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the gentleman's amendment and thank him very much for offering it.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the gentlewoman for the time and rise in strong support of her bill, the Defense appropriations

bill. I know I join Mrs. Lowey in congratulating Ms. Granger and Mr. Visclosky for their excellent Defense appropriations bill and their joint dedication to a very bipartisan product. They continue, I think, a very proud tradition.

Let me also acknowledge and thank the men and women who helped produce the bill who stand or sit behind us and who have been mentioned by both the ranking member and chairman. I want to thank them for making us look good and making sure that we have a very professional product.

I do want to take the opportunity to thank the personal staff of the members on the committee as well as Steve Wilson from my office who has worked on my behalf for 15 years on defense issues.

The distinguished chair, Ms. Granger, and Mr. Visclosky have outlined the specific recommendations and highlights of their bill. As we are aware, the bill totals $675.6 billion for the Department of Defense. This is consistent, as Ms. Granger has mentioned, with the bicameral, bipartisan budget agreement hammered out last spring.

In addition to the increased funding in this bill, the balanced budget agreement also has provided what we call critically important stability and predictability to the Department of Defense, our Armed Forces, and our defense industrial base. Enhancing their ability to plan even in the short term is good news for national defense and that of our partners.

For the future, I am deeply concerned that a return to the arbitrary caps established under the Budget Control Act 8 years ago would again force a return to the shortsighted, budget-driven thinking on national security spending that took place in recent years.

Mr. Chairman, the rebuilding of our military continues today with this legislation. This bill includes funding for more equipment, more munitions, more troops, and more training. Restoring readiness is a key objective of this proposal.

We routinely ask our men and women in uniform--all volunteers--to go to great lengths to complete their missions, and they must be well- equipped, well-trained, and well-supported. That is why this bill includes $246 billion for operation and maintenance--funding that will provide for more battle training, more flight hours, more steaming days, and more depot maintenance.

The bill also includes a total of $144 billion for military personnel, increasing the size of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. I would also note that the chairman has mentioned we provide a 2.6 percent pay increase for our troops--the largest such pay increase in 9 years.

The bill also looks after our Armed Forces and their families by providing funding for the Defense Health Program, continuing critical research, and sustaining the well-being of our military's most valuable resource--its people.

Beyond these important investments that will rebuild our military in the near term, the bill prepares for the future by providing research and development funding to modernize our military to meet current and future threats: the continued menace of terrorist networks in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Africa; ongoing threats by Iran and North Korea; the belligerent re-emergence of China; and the military expansionism of Russia and China.

Mr. Chairman, the legislation also acknowledges emerging dangers and challenges at home and abroad posed by drones, cyber war, and transnational crime, and makes investments in capabilities such as ISR and artificial intelligence to prepare and protect against these threats.

In short, this bill prepares our warfighters to meet any challenge anywhere at any time.

Mr. Chairman, the Department of Defense appropriations bill before the House today is the largest and arguably the most important bill of our annual appropriations process. It deserves our support.

I congratulate the chairman, Ms. Granger, and Mr. Visclosky for putting forward an excellent bill on behalf of our Nation.

Mr. Chairman, I thank my dear friend from Indiana and his staff and thank the majority manager and her staff for their leadership on this bill.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of section 8129, particularly, of this bill. This section, Mr. Chairman, would finally allow the Secretary of Defense, in the event of a government shutdown, to make military death gratuity payments to families of fallen servicemembers.

I commend the committee for including this long overdue provision, which was my number one priority request to the committee and the subject of bipartisan legislation I have introduced in every Congress. I was pleased to colead that with my friend Tom Rooney of Florida.

It was shameful that Congress previously would allow the government to shut down and allow grieving families of fallen servicemembers to go without this small, impartial measure of our appreciation and gratitude for their loved one's ultimate service. Sadly, that is what happened in the shutdown of October 2013 and the subsequent shutdown of January 2018. We must ensure this never happens again. The action taken by the committee pursuant to the bill we introduced does just that.

I want to again thank the committee for righting a wrong. No grieving family should worry when Congress doesn't do its job and allows the funding of the government to lapse that their payments remembering their loved ones and the sacrifice they made are at risk--never again.

Mr. Chair, I thank my colleagues for their leadership. I thank the committee for righting this wrong. I am proud to have co-authored the bill that allowed us to get to this point.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of Section 8129 of this bill.

This section would allow the Secretary of Defense, in the event of a government shutdown, to make military death gratuity payments to families of fallen service members.

I commend the Committee for including this long overdue provision, which was my number one priority request to the Committee and the subject of bipartisan legislation I have introduced with my colleague Representative Tom Rooney of Florida.

It is shameful that Congress would allow the government to shut down and allow grieving military families to go without this small and partial measure of our gratitude for their loved one's service.

Sadly, that is what happened in October 2013 and January 2018.

We must ensure that it never happens again.

Thank you again to the Chairman and Ranking Member for being responsive to the more than 200 members who have cosponsored the Families of Fallen Servicemembers First Act (H.R. 1928) and the two dozen veterans organizations who have endorsed the bill.

But most importantly, thank you for caring for our military families.