Martha Roby: “First, I thank the chairman and the ranking member for their hard work on this bill, and I thank the chairman for…”

“First, I thank the chairman and the ranking member for their hard work on this bill, and I thank the chairman for yielding. Madam Chairman, I am so grateful for this opportunity to stand here today in support of H.R. 2029, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. This bill undeniably provides much-needed funding for both our veterans programs and military projects, while staying within the strict limits of our House-passed budget resolution. I am especially proud because there is funding that we were able to secure in this bill for the folks in Alabama, right at home, including new school construction both at Fort Rucker, the home of Army aviation excellence, and $33 million for new school construction at Maxwell Air Force Base, much-needed dollars for our military families at this post and this base, and also funding for a new squadron operations facility at Dannelly Field. These are all extremely important to our critical military functions in Alabama. Anybody who has been on post at Rucker or at the base at Maxwell knows that these schools are in disrepair and are in need of replacing. Our military families deserve quality on-base facilities, and these projects are going to go a long way to help improve their quality of life right there in Alabama. I want to address, though, what I was struck with--and everyone else in this institution--when I woke up this morning, Madam Chair.…”