Chris Van Hollen: “the Senate passed 3 of the required 12 appropriations bills needed to fund the Federal Government starting on October…”

“the Senate passed 3 of the required 12 appropriations bills needed to fund the Federal Government starting on October first. The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Energy and Water, and Legislative Branch appropriations bills fund vital programs that care for our military, protect our infrastructure, and support the dedicated Federal employees that work for the U.S. Congress. Within the minibus, programs and projects such as the VA's National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Army Corps dredging for the Port of Baltimore, and a new paid-internship program in the Senate are just a few of the hundreds of items funded in these bills that will benefit the people of Maryland and the Nation. However, I do not support the $65 million appropriated in fiscal year 2019 for a new low- yield nuclear warhead for a submarine-launched ballistic missile. I believe this is an unnecessary new weapon that increases the risk of miscalculation and unintended escalation. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I am pleased that we have gotten this far and I look forward to working with my colleagues on moving the other bills to final passage. ____________________”