Sen. Hyde-Smith Helps Senate Advance First FY2019 Appropriations Bills

WASHINGTON, June 25 -- The office of Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Mississippi, issued the following news release:

U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith today voted with her Senate colleagues to approve the first series of appropriations bills for the 2019 fiscal year, including measures to fund Army Corps of Engineers activities in Mississippi and increase funding for veterans' programs.

The Senate voted 86-5 to approve a three-bill package (HR.5895), which includes the following FY2019 measures: Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill; Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Bill; and Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill.

"The passage of these three bills moves the Senate away from having to pass a huge omnibus bill later this year. For Mississippi, these appropriations bills will support important infrastructure, commerce, and public safety. Importantly, veterans programs and military readiness are also are funded," Hyde-Smith said.

All three bills must be reconciled with the corresponding House-passed measures before they can be given final approval and then presented to President Trump for consideration.

The following are items of interest to Mississippi in the three measures included in HR.5895:

Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill

Hyde-Smith supported funding in the bill for Army Corps of Engineers projects in Mississippi, including flood control, water and wastewater infrastructure assistance, and research conducted at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg. In addition, the bill continues funding for the Appalachian Regional Commission and Delta Regional Authority.

A review of Corps funding important to Mississippi is available here: http://bit.ly/2IqHH1a

Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Bill

The Senate-approved bill provides record-level funding for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide funding to improve its delivery of medical treatment and healthcare services to veterans and their dependents, including additional resources to prevent veteran suicide and homelessness.

The bill provides $78.3 billion overall, a $5.0 billion increase, to support VA programs. Hyde-Smith also supported $64.3 million for the Armed Forces Retirement Home, which operates facilities in Gulfport and Washington, D.C.

Within military construction funding, the bill includes a $10 million increase requested by Hyde-Smith to support the U.S. Army's laboratory revitalization program, which would benefit the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center in Vicksburg.

Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill

The measure provides funding to maintain essential operations and security of the U.S. Capitol, Congress, and government transparency agencies like the Government Accountability Office and Congressional Budget Office. The measure is $90 million more than FY2018 funding, but $187 million less than the budget request.

Hyde-Smith won Senate approval of her amendment to provide adequate funds for the Surplus Books Program at the Library of Congress. The amendment, which does not increase spending and has no budgetary impact, would allow the Library of Congress to promote its Surplus Books Program to more schools, nonprofit organizations, and other eligible groups.

Mississippi schools and nonprofits benefit from this program. (Learn more about the Library of Congress Surplus Book Program on the Hyde-Smith website: https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/content/library-congress-surplus-books)

Finally, Hyde-Smith supported extending the Member Pay Freeze to prevent any pay increases for Members of Congress in FY2019. The Appropriations Committee first imposed this pay freeze in 2009.