WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 14, 2017) – Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) today released this statement following the House passage of the Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act of 2018 (H.R. 3354) to fully fund the government and the priorities of the American people.

“This is the first time in more than a decade that we have passed — on time — a complete government funding bill with Republican priorities and priorities for people in Eastern Washington. It is Congress’s Constitutional responsibility to exercise the power of the purse, and The Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act responsibly funds our government and prioritizes the needs of the American people. This bill includes pro-life protections, cuts wasteful government programs, funds national security, puts more money to NIH and other important health and research initiatives, allots funding to infrastructure projects, and stops harmful regulatory overreach by multiple agencies.”

H.R. 3354 also provides critical funding and statutory reforms for a number of important priorities for Eastern Washington, including:

• Fully funding wildland fire suppression.
• $465 million for the Federal Payments In Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program.
• Removes the recovered gray wolf from the endangered species list, officially taking this issue out of the courts.
• $35.1 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is a $1.1 billion increase, for vital biomedical research that will lead to new medical breakthroughs to cure diseases.
• New funding to proactively combat the opioid abuse epidemic.
• $1.6 billion for wall construction along the Southern border to meet the President’s request.
• Reaffirms the Congresswoman’s commitment to protecting the sanctity of life and Second Amendment rights.

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