President Donald J. Trump Secures Funding to Care for Our Veterans, Rebuild Our Military, and Invest in Our Infrastructure | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    "My pledge to you, our noble warriors, is that my Administration will support you, and your loved ones, and your amazing families every single day, now and always."  -  President Donald J. Trump

    CARING FOR OUR VETS: President Donald J. Trump is signing legislation that provides historic funding to care for our Nation's veterans.

           •  President Trump is signing appropriations legislation that will provide $86.5 billion in funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the largest dollar amount in history for the VA.

           •  The legislation provides $73.1 billion for medical care for 7 million patients, including:

                 •  $8.6 billion for mental health services

                 •  $400 million for opioid abuse prevention

                 •  $206 million for suicide prevention outreach

                 •  $270 million for rural veterans' health initiatives

           •  The legislation provides an additional $1.75 billion above the amount already enacted for FY 2019 to improve ongoing healthcare services and to fund certain VA MISSION Act programs.

           •  The legislation includes $1.1 billion to modernize the VA's electronic health record system, a desperately needed improvement to provide seamless care to those transitioning from service.

           •  Oversight and accountability will be strengthened to ensure VA dollars are being used to the best benefit of our veterans.

           •  The legislation accelerates compensation claims processing for more than 450,000 veterans.

    BUILDING OUR DEFENSES: The legislation provides billions of dollars in critical funding to further President Trump's national security priorities and rebuild military infrastructure.

           •  The legislation provides $15.14 billion to support a strong nuclear national security strategy, including:

                 •  $11.1 billion for nuclear weapons activities to maintain a strong deterrence posture

                 •  $1.70 billion to support the Navy's nuclear powered fleet

                 •  $1.93 billion to keep nuclear materials from getting in the hands of bad actors

           •  Funding is provided to harden our nation's energy grid against cyber and other attacks, including $120 million for research and development to strengthen our electric grid.

           •  The legislation will rebuild infrastructure for service members and their families by providing $10.3 billion for 174 military construction projects across the country and overseas.

                 •  Family housing is fully funded with $1.6 billion and $100 million will go to enhancing anti-terrorism, force protection, and safety efforts on military installations

    INVESTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENERGY: The legislation invests in American infrastructure and energy development.

           •  The legislation invests in our Nation's water resources, providing $7 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers to maintain and improve our Nation's water infrastructure, including:

                 •  $3.2 billion for navigation projects and studies to maintain and improve our coastal ports and inland waterways

                 •  $2 billion for flood and storm damage reduction projects and activities

           •  The legislation advances an "all-of-the-above" energy strategy by directing $13.4 billion to the Department of Energy's energy programs, including:

                 •  $740 million for research and development to advance fossil energy technologies

                 •  $1.2 billion for nuclear energy research and development activities

• Contact: White House
•     Press Office