On Wednesday, March 8, 2017, in a speech given on the House Floor, Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) spoke in support of H.R. 1301, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2017. H.R. 1301 was subsequently passed by the House by a vote of 371-48. The bill provides funding for the Department of Defense (DOD) for military activities for the remainder of fiscal year (FY) 2017.

“Mr. Speaker, not only does this bill rebuild readiness by giving our troops the equipment they need, but it also reverses Obama-era cuts to developing defense platforms, stops troop drawdowns, and perhaps most importantly, gives our warfighters a much-deserved pay raise.

“As a 30-year veteran of the Arkansas Army National Guard, I am particularly pleased that this bill provides the funding necessary to ensure the National Guard remains a fully-operational force.

“It’s a good bill, Mr. Speaker, and with a willing partner in the White House and a pledge to rebuild our military, it marks the first step – an important first step – our Congress has to take to complete our business from last year. And it gives our defenders what they need and deserve – and that is certainty.

“Threats are growing, and America must project strength; that starts with creating a military so strong that we never send our men and women downrange in a fair fight.

“I call on my colleagues to stand strong against our enemies. Take this first step today in projecting power with our financial commitments.”

Congressman Steve Womack has represented Arkansas’s Third Congressional District since 2011 and serves on the House Appropriations Defense, Military Construction-Veterans Affairs, and Labor-Health and Human Services subcommittees and the House Committee on the Budget.

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