May 18, 2016

Washington, D.C. – Today, the House passed H.R. 4909, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017. Congressman Collins, who supported the legislation which funds the U.S. military through the end of the fiscal year, issued the following statement after the vote:

“With this legislation, Congress fulfilled its Constitutional responsibility to provide our men and women in uniform with the tools and resources required to defend our nation. H.R. 4909 makes important investments to vital programs that will strengthen our fighting force, improve access to health care for soldiers and their families, and provides our nation’s service men and women with a 2.1% pay raise. The legislation also prohibits the transfer of detainees at Guantanamo Bay to the U.S., and prohibits closure of the facility.”

“Growing instability in the Middle East and around the world makes it more necessary than ever to stay ahead of those who threaten our way of life. Years of irresponsible budget shortfalls have compromised our military readiness. As a member of the Air Force Reserve, I firmly believe that we must provide our troops with the resources needed to remain the strongest military in the world. We have to do more than provide the bare minimum—or risk acting at the expense of those waiting to deploy and endangering our soldiers and our country’s safety. It’s imperative that we sustain our troops overseas, while ensuring the men and women preparing for deployment are able to receive the proper training and equipment. By funding the core defense requirements included in this bill, we’ve taken a positive step in providing our soldiers the support they deserve and the resources they need to protect our freedoms and defend our country. We owe our men and women in uniform a great debt of gratitude, and this bill takes steps to recognize their service by providing for their needs. It also ensures that America can protect itself and our way of life.”