Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY), Ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, today issued the following statement on the release of the majority’s FY2017 Defense Appropriations bill.
“The majority’s failure to provide a full year of funding for thousands of men and women serving in dangerous places around the world is astoundingly irresponsible. By shifting funding away from Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO), the majority would create a cliff just a few months into 2017, forcing the new President to request supplemental funds to pay our troops within weeks after taking office. This funding gimmick violates the bipartisan agreement enacted last November and overshadows positive aspects of the bill, including a pay raise for troops, increase for cybersecurity, and other critical investments. This Committee must get serious and improve this bill prior to enactment to provide the certainty that troops serving in dangerous places need."
Source: U.S. Department of HCA
