Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the fiscal year 2018 appropriations measure before us today. The committee, as the chairman said, has worked at a historic pace to produce a bill that reflects the priorities of the American people. Chairman Frelinghuysen should be recognized for his leadership in bringing this legislation through committee and before the House in record time. While the entirety of the package should be supported, I want to highlight, Mr. Chairman, the funding provided for the Department of State and Foreign Operations. This portion of the bill reduces international diplomatic and development programs by $10 billion, a 17 percent reduction from fiscal year '17. In a tough budget environment, the bill strikes a delicate balance between fiscal responsibility and support for continued U.S. leadership and foreign aid. First and foremost, over $6 billion is allocated for embassy security, which will enable the State Department to safeguard American diplomatic facilities overseas, in line with the recommendations of the Benghazi Accountability Review Board. Second, the bill contains $8.4 billion for security assistance to support key U.S. allies and partners. The U.S.-Israel Memorandum of Understanding is fully funded at $3.1 billion. The bill also maintains foreign military financing for Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia; and it increases security assistance for Ukraine, and provides extra support for other countries facing Russian aggression.…”