(UPDATED) The House Appropriations Committee today approved the fiscal year 2018 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations bill on a vote of 31-21. The bill funds the Departments of Commerce and Justice, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and other related agencies.

The legislation contains $54 billion in total discretionary funding, a decrease of $2.6 billion below fiscal year 2017 and $4 billion above the President’s request for these programs. The bill targets funding increases for national security – including cybercrime, counter-terrorism and espionage. The bill also provides increases for federal law enforcement to crack down on illegal immigration, and combat violent crime, gangs and opioid trafficking. Funds are included to help boost trade enforcement, continue investments in space exploration programs, and advance groundbreaking science and technologies essential for innovation, productivity, and economic growth. In order to make these investments, lower-priority programs are reduced or eliminated.

“As we see on the news nearly every day, our nation is facing increased threats here at home. Federal law enforcement is essential to fighting these threats, protecting our people, and making sure that all those that do harm are brought to justice. This bill increases funding for law enforcement – making sure they have the resources they need to fight crime and terrorism,” House Appropriations Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen said. “In addition, the bill includes important investments to boost U.S. scientific innovation that will maintain our nation’s status as a global leader.”

“This bill balances my two top priorities; being frugal with my constituents’ hard-earned tax dollars, while supporting federal law enforcement and scientific agencies with the resources they need to do their job. This legislation makes sure that America’s law enforcement agencies have enough money to effectively fight 21st century threats like cybercrime, terrorism and human trafficking,” said CJS Subcommittee Chairman John Culberson. “In addition, NASA has also earned the highest level of funding in the history of the agency. For too many years, NASA has been overloaded with too many missions and not enough funding. This bill guarantees NASA receives the funding they need to lift America’s space program above the glory days of Apollo.”

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