Congressman Bishop Statement on Passage Of FY 2016 Omnibus Appropriations Bill

Press Release

Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), Ranking Member of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, released the following statement regarding his support of the bipartisan Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Omnibus Appropriations government spending bill. The bill was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 316 to 113, was approved by the U.S. Senate, and has been signed into law by the President.

"The House of Representatives came together with a balanced compromise to provide the resources needed to create jobs, boost our economic growth, bolster education, invest in our infrastructure, and support our working families. Overall, the bill achieves a number of victories for Georgia and the American people, especially in providing for education, job training, medical research, worker safety, child care, and food security.

"Regarding the MilCon/VA section of the bill, a number of the bill's highlights will have a profound impact on the lives of our nation's veterans. For example, the amount of funding for Hepatitis C treatment to was raised to $1.5 billion in an effort to eliminate the disease among the veteran population. Additionally, in order to combat veterans' homelessness, suicide, and PTSD, we have also included $7.5 billion for mental health care services. Additionally, I am confident that the FY2016 bill provides our military the resources it needs to defend our country and fund the services our veterans may need to carry out successful, productive lives.

"Within the Agriculture section of the Omnibus, we worked to prioritize support for American farmers and ranchers, approving $21.75 billion in discretionary funding and $925 million above last year's enacted level. The strong funding for agriculture production, safe food and medicines research, and rural development will go far to promote U.S. agriculture, create jobs, and strengthen our economy.

"That being said, it is high time Congress returns to regular working order--a process that starts with a realistic allocation, rejects the omnibus model, returns to passing individually tailored spending bills, and utilizing the entire legislative process to determine how our government responsibly invests in the American people. Truly, regular order is better for the governmental process, the Members, and this august institution in which we serve."

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