Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Vic Snyder joined his colleagues in the House of Representatives to pass the $636.3 billion fiscal 2010 Defense appropriations bill. H.R. 3326 was the last of the 12 fiscal 2010 spending measures to pass on the floor of the House. The full Senate has not acted on its version. The Defense Appropriations Act provides weapons and equipment for our troops and makes critical investments in the readiness, health, and well-being of our armed forces.
“This bill puts the needs of our troops first,” said Snyder. “They deserve the best possible care for their service to this country. With this bill, we continue to protect them as they go into battle in defense of our nation.”
The Defense Appropriations Act includes a 3.4% pay raise for our military, improves medical care and provides support for military family advocacy programs. For the first time since the beginning of operations in Iraq, this bill also budgets for Overseas contingency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for the upcoming fiscal year. This legislation also reigns in outsourcing and puts Defense personnel, not contractors, in charge of critical department functions. At the same time, it allows for the Inspector General to hire additional investigators to ensure proper oversight of Department of Defense acquisition and contracting. This bill includes a $2.5 million appropriation for Army Medical research in Advanced Functional Nanomaterials at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to improve recovery and survival rates from battlefield injuries.
“As with all of our appropriations legislation this Congress, we were able to pass this bill on time and under budget,” said Snyder. “It is important that we continue to invest responsibly in key priorities that will protect our country and grow our economy.”
