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[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 983 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 983

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Nation 
  now faces a more complex and grave set of threats than at any time 
since the end of World War II and that the continued use of continuing 
  resolutions to fund defense-related activities puts servicemen and 
servicewomen at risk, harms national security, and aids the adversaries 
                         of the United States.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              July 6, 2018

 Ms. Cheney submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Appropriations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Nation 
  now faces a more complex and grave set of threats than at any time 
since the end of World War II and that the continued use of continuing 
  resolutions to fund defense-related activities puts servicemen and 
servicewomen at risk, harms national security, and aids the adversaries 
                         of the United States.

Whereas the United States now faces a more complex set of threats than at any 
        time since the end of World War II;
Whereas the National Defense Strategy released on January 19, 2018, highlights 
        these threats and acknowledges a return to great power competition;
Whereas countries like Russia and China are heavily investing in military 
        modernization and developing capabilities that the United States may not 
        be able to defend against while also expanding their influence across 
        the globe;
Whereas North Korea's nuclear program continues to be a serious threat;
Whereas the National Defense Strategy states that ``Iran continues to sow 
        violence and remains the most significant challenge to Middle East 
        stability'';
Whereas the National Defense Strategy states that ``terrorist groups with long 
        reach continue to murder the innocent and threaten peace more broadly'';
Whereas the United States continues to fight a war against terrorism and has 
        troops deployed in hostile regions throughout the globe;
Whereas, on January 19, 2018, Secretary of Defense James Mattis stated, ``As 
        hard as the last 16 years have been on our military, no enemy in the 
        field has done more to harm the readiness of the U.S. military than the 
        combined impact of the Budget Control Act's defense spending cuts, 
        worsened by us operating, 9 of the last 10 years, under continuing 
        resolutions, wasting copious amounts of precious taxpayer dollars'';
Whereas fiscal year 2009 was the last fiscal year the Department of Defense was 
        not forced to operate under any continuing resolution;
Whereas the House of Representatives has passed an annual appropriation bill for 
        the Department of Defense before the start of the next fiscal year in 
        each of the past 9 fiscal years the Department of Defense was forced to 
        operate under a continuing resolution;
Whereas, on June 28, 2018, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 6157, the 
        Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2019, with a 
        359-49 vote;
Whereas article I, section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress the 
        responsibility to ``provide for the common Defence and general Welfare 
        of the United States'' and calls on Congress to ``raise and support 
        Armies'' and ``provide and maintain a Navy''; and
Whereas Secretaries of Defense appointed by Presidents of both parties have 
        warned about the damage continuing resolutions cause to the readiness of 
        our Armed Forces: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the critical importance of completing the 
        fiscal year 2019 appropriations process for the Department of 
        Defense prior to the beginning of fiscal year 2019 on October 
        1, 2018; and
            (2) urges the Senate to complete its work on the fiscal 
        year 2019 appropriations bill for the Department of Defense 
        quickly so that--
                    (A) the House of Representatives can enter into a 
                conference committee with the Senate to reconcile any 
                differences between H.R. 6157 and the defense 
                appropriations bill adopted by the Senate; and
                    (B) Congress can present the President with a 
                fiscal year 2019 appropriations bill for the Department 
                of Defense for his signature no later than September 
                30, 2018.
                                 <all>
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