Today, U.S. Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) voted to pass the bipartisan Department of Defense (DOD) Appropriations Act of 2019, which allocates all defense spending for the 2019 fiscal year including funding for military personnel, operations and maintenance, procurement, and research and development.

“San Diegans know that a fifth of our region’s economy comes from the critical role we play in keeping our nation safe, and the contributions of our health research institutions are unmatched; this spending package provides critical boosts to both of these. Both abroad and at home, Congress is making investments that protect our nation from evolving threats, and prioritize our troops. I joined a bipartisan majority to pass this legislation, and I remain committed to investments in research and development, improved operations and procurement, and to giving better compensation to our service members who make enormous sacrifices to defend the United States,” said Rep. Peters.

The defense spending bill included funding for San Diego priorities, including $22 billion for shipbuilding, funding for three Littoral Combat Ships per year and $1.6 billion for aircraft carriers. The troops will receive a much-deserved 2.6% pay raise. Aircraft procurement also receives a funding boost with $9.4 billion allocated for 93 F-35s and $1.9 billion for 24 F-18s.

In addition, health care research will get expanded funding to address the special health risks and challenges our service members face. The legislation includes $374 million for cancer research, $125 million for traumatic brain injury research, and $321 million for sexual assault prevention and response.

Rep. Peters also supported an amendment to the bill that would prohibit DOD facilities from housing detained immigrants, but the amendment was not made in order.