Langevin Statement on Passage of Veterans and Energy Minibus Government Funding Package

Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement after voting in favor of the Fiscal Year 2019 Energy and Water Development, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Legislative Branch Appropriations Act (‘minibus’), which passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 377-20:  

“I am proud to support this bipartisan compromise that rejects the most cynical budget cuts proposed by President Trump and makes important investments in military construction, veterans health, and clean energy. As a member of Congress, one of my most important responsibilities is to ensure our nation’s veterans receive the support that they have rightly earned. This bill honors that enduring commitment by providing increased funding for VA medical services, including an expansion of opioid treatment programs and an increase in mental health and suicide prevention services.  

“Also included in this legislation is funding for renewable energy programs, an incredibly important priority to my constituents in the Ocean State who are on the front lines in the fight against climate change. Our country remains too dependent on carbon-based fuels that pollute our environment. Research and development of clean energy technologies is not just important to the health of our environment, it will help drive innovation, create 21st Century jobs and strengthen our economy.

“While this bill is far from perfect, it is the result of effective, bipartisan collaboration and it provides much-needed resources for significant components of the federal government. We need to avoid short-term funding fixes that fail to meet programmatic needs and return to governing in a responsible manner by passing annual federal funding bills through the normal legislative process.”