Saturday, December 21, 2019

Office of the Press Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 20, 2019

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP HAS SECURED CRITICAL FUNDING TO STRENGTHEN OUR NATIONAL DEFENSE AND SECURE OUR BORDERS

“My mission is to put our country on the very best footing to thrive, excel, compete, and to win.” – President Donald J. Trump

The funding legislation signed by the President provides a historic $738 billion in funding for defense, a $22 billion increase over last year.
Included in the funding legislation is a 3.1 percent pay raise for our Nation’s great military members, the largest such pay raise in a decade.
The package includes funding for the first time for the establishment of the Space Force, the first new branch of the Armed Forces to be established since 1947.

SECURING OUR BORDERS: This legislation maintains funding we need to enforce our immigration laws, secure our borders, and build the wall.

The legislation enables more than the $8.6 billion amount included in the budget request to be dedicated for the President’s border wall, including nearly $1.4 billion in direct funding.
The Administration successfully defeated every attempt by Democrats to undo the President’s authority to redirect and transfer additional funding to build the wall.
Funding was secured for additional immigration judges, which will help tackle the backlog of more than one million immigration cases.
This legislation rejects attempts to cap and slash Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention resources and preserves the successful Migrant Protection Protocols.

SUPPORTING ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES: President Trump has secured important funding for programs that will further Administration priorities.

The President continued to support our Nation’s great veterans by securing nearly $92 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The President achieved a more than 400 percent increase for the NASA lander program, support that will one day help to deliver our astronauts back to the Moon.
The President secured full funding to continue the fight against the opioid epidemic.
The legislation provides $1.7 billion for mental health programs in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The President continued to stand up for the sanctity of life by defeating Democrat provisions that would have supported abortion and black-listed pro-life organizations.
The President secured $1 billion for BUILD grants, a vital tool to help State and local governments improve their infrastructure.
The legislation supports President Trump’s workforce development efforts by fully funding the President’s apprenticeship initiative.
The President’s Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Fund was funded at $100 million and the Development Finance Corporation was funded at $301 million.
The President’s Industries of the Future initiative was funded for the first time and will ensure United States economic strength into the next generation.