Representative Adriano Espaillat Statement on Full Appropriations Committee Markup of Fiscal Year 2023 Defense Funding Bill

NEW YORK, NY – Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) delivered the following remarks during today's House Appropriations Committee markup of the fiscal year 2023 Defense bill:

"There is bipartisan consensus in Congress to support this Defense Appropriations Bill, especially as war rages in Ukraine. I hope that we can also achieve bipartisan consensus to increase funding for education, COVID relief efforts, health care, crime prevention initiatives, and programs that help hard-working families who are struggling to get by.

"I will vote in favor of this bill because it contains several important provisions, including: $300 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative; $225 million for the Baltic Security Initiative, supporting; three NATO allies on the frontlines of Russian aggression - Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania; and at least $5 million to expand Fisher Housing. My district has a Fisher House in the Bronx, which supports veteran families of patients receiving care at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center.

"Additionally, there is $2.5 billion in clean energy and climate adaptation to protect facilities, readiness, and global security; more than $500 million to address violence against women with funding to tackle sexual assault in the military.

"Funding is also included to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, limit our involvement in Yemen, and protect the Reproductive Rights of Servicemembers.

"I support decreasing the Defense Budget so that we can reallocate those funds to programs that invest in programs that expand opportunities in our society."

Today's legislation provides $761.681 billion in discretionary spending, an increase of $33.207 billion above 2022, and aligns with President Biden’s budget request, a funding level also endorsed by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III.