Congressman Steven Palazzo voted in favor of the latest Defense Spending Bill, which provides a pay increase for the troops.
The appropriations bill for the Department of Defense consists of a $675.6 billion. Included in the bill is $144 billion for military personnel, making it the largest pay raise for America’s troops in the past nine years.
After the bill passed by a 359-49 margin, Palazzo said that this bill is all about giving the men and women in uniform what they need to defend the country.
“This bill is the counterpart to the Nation Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), providing our military with the funding they need to be successful and achieve mission readiness,” he said. “This is where we put our money where our mouth is, and ensure that our men and women in uniform have the tools and the resources they need to do their job.”
As a Marine veteran and member of the Mississippi National Guard, Palazzo is familiar with the needs of our troops, and because he is a part of the House Appropriations Committee, he’s been able to work on this bill from the beginning.
The troops will benefit from this new bill, and according to Palazzo, so will Mississippi.
“South Mississippi is a military community and a leader in defense. Passage of today’s bill is beneficial for both our local military bases and supporting contractors, providing substantial resources as we work alongside the President to continue strengthening our national defense,” he said.
The vote sends the bill to the Senate, and the Senate Appropriations Committee recently approved a similar measure.
According to Fox News, the bill includes an amendment by Arizona Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego which blocks the Pentagon from buying goods or services from Chinese telecommunications giants ZTE and Huawei. ZTE is accused of violating trade laws by selling sensitive technologies to North Korea and Iran. Huawei has ties to the Chinese government and is considered a security risk.
