Washington – Last night, Congressman Jack Bergman (MI-01) voted in favor of H.R. 3219 - Make America Secure Appropriations Act.
“H.R. 3219 fulfills our Constitutional responsibility to provide for the common defense and protects our region’s natural resources. After 40 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, I know how essential it is to provide our military men and women with the resources they need to defeat our enemies,” said Congressman Bergman. “This bill additionally prioritizes the Great Lakes by focusing efforts on preventing Asian carp from entering our lakes, keeping our harbors open, and modernizing the Soo Locks, which are critical to First District’s economy, and I am proud to support this legislation.”
The bill notably provides additional funding for the Army Corps of Engineers, and instructs the Corps to use a new standard for studying the construction of a new lock at the Soo Locks. The new standard will account for the true value of the goods that pass through the Locks into the national supply chain rather than simply the value of the commodities. In addition, H.R. 3219 instructs the Army Corps to release the Brandon Road Lock and Dam study, an essential next step to keeping Asian carp out of the Great Lakes, and increases the Corps’ Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund by $40 million to support harbor dredging projects for communities in the First District.
The Make America Secure Appropriations Act also includes the following:
- A 2.4% pay raise for the troops, ensuring our service members and their families receive the benefits they deserve;
- Resources to fight against hostile action from North Korea and Russia and to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria; and
- Record-level funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs to expedite processing of the nationwide backlog of veterans’ disability claims.
H.R. 3219 passed in the House of Representatives by a bipartisan vote of 235 – 192.
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