U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) blasted Senate Democrats for blocking the defense spending bill last week.
The bipartisan agreement
funds the U.S. military for the upcoming year.
“In May, Senate Democrats on the Appropriations Committee joined every Republican in unanimously approving this bipartisan spending bill,” Wicker said. “This is not an abstract piece of legislation to be used for political games. The men and women of our armed services rely on this funding to do their jobs, keep our nation safe, and provide for their families. It is troubling that Democrats have had a change of heart and are now standing in the way of allowing the Senate to do its job on behalf of our military.”
The National Defense Authorization Act was passed by the House and Senate on July 7. That bill directs how federal funds will be spent in the upcoming year. It does not fund defense spending. Funding is set by the FY2017 Defense Appropriations Bill, which is the bill stalled in the Senate in a Democratic filibuster.
Among the highlights of the $576.9 billion budget is the Defense Health Program. The bill allocates $34 billion for medical and dental services for military personnel and their families. It also funds medical research on traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries. It includes modernization of the medical infrastructure and electronic health records.
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