Cole Statement on the Passage of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2018

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed the Department of Defense Appropriations funding legislation for Fiscal Year 2018. The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2018 (H.R. 695) was passed by a vote of 250-166, with Cole's support. This is the third time the House of Representatives has passed a Fiscal Year 2018 Department of Defense funding bill – the first in July 2017 (H.R. 3219) and the second in September 2017 (H.R. 3354).

The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2018, provides $659.2 billion in full-year funding for Fiscal Year 2018, with base funding at $584 billion and Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funding at $75.1 billion. The bill also does away with automatic budget cuts for the Department of Defense outlined by the Budget Control Act (Public Law 112-25).

"Funding for our troops and our national security should remain a top priority, and once again we find ourselves acting on that priority in the House," said Cole. "It is time for Democrats in the Senate to stop kicking the proverbial can down the road. The military must have certainty to plan for and train to counter any number of threats. The more this funding is delayed, the more our national security is at risk. A return to regular order in the appropriations process couldn't be more urgent."