Sullivan Votes for Government Funding Bill
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) released the following statement after voting in support of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017, which funds the government through September 30, 2017.
“While I continue to believe that the process by which we fund the government is fundamentally flawed, the bill we passed today will provide the necessary funding to keep the government open through the end of the fiscal year – which gives agencies greater fiscal certainty. After years of cuts to our military – which I have repeatedly fought against – we voted to significantly increase spending on our men and women in the U.S. military to address the growing national security threats throughout the world, while not having to simultaneously increase funding for domestic agencies like the EPA or the IRS.
“The bill also funds many agencies and programs vital to our state, including NOAA, the Coast Guard’s Arctic priorities, the Essential Air Service program, infrastructure investments across the state, and community health centers – all of which I’ve been pressing for during my tenure in the U.S. Senate.
“I’m also pleased that the bill provides more than a billion dollars to address the opioid and heroin epidemic facing our nation – which is an issue I have been very focused on. This is a good start, but we need to do much more to turn the tide.
“Finally, I want to thank Senator Lisa Murkowski, Chairman of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, for her hard work to ensure that the Alaska Mental Health Trust Land Exchange Act was included in the bill, in addition to funding for other Alaska priorities.”
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