{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/news-releases/brooks-applauds-final-passage-fy18-defense-bill", "Brooks Applauds Final Passage of FY18 Defense Bill", "2017-11-14", "2017", "2017-11", "Republican", "House", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 Today, Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) voted for the conference report to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2018. The NDAA authorizes America\u2019s national defense programs and passed the House 356-70. This conference report resolves differences between the two different NDAA versions that passed the House and Senate earlier this year. Once the House and Senate both pass the conference report, it will go to the White House for the President\u2019s signature.\nThe FY18 NDAA conference report authorizes a huge $88.7 billion increase over FY 2017 national defense funding. It authorizes $634.2 billion for base budget requirements and $65.7 billion in Overseas Contingency Operations funding, for a record-high total of $699.9 billion.\nCongressman Brooks said, \u201cThe sequestration provisions of the Budget Control Act of 2011 (which I voted against) wrongly targeted national defense spending with disproportionate spending cuts that have hamstrung America\u2019s warfighters for more than six years.\u00a0In sum, and although national defense is only about 16% of total federal government spending, the Budget Control Act disproportionately burdened national defense with almost two-thirds of all budget cuts. A major reason why I voted for the FY18 NDAA conference report is that it reverses the damage done to national defense by the Budget Control Act caps and sequestration constraints, thereby restoring the support America\u2019s warfighters need to successfully perform their missions \u2013 in an increasingly dangerous world.\n\u201cOf particular interest to Redstone Arsenal and the Tennessee Valley, the NDAA:\n Authorizes a significant $4.4 billion increase for missile defense;\n\tAuthorizes an additional 28 Ground-Based interceptor missiles;\n\tRequires the Secretary of Defense to develop a plan for increasing the overall number of Ground-Based interceptor missiles from 44 to 104; and\n\tAllows Decatur\u2019s United Launch Alliance to continue investing to replace the Russian RD-180 engine.\n Brooks concluded, \u201cAlthough it does not directly impact the Tennessee Valley economy, the NDAA continues funding for three Littoral Combat Ships, which is welcome news for the Navy and Mobile Bay, where the Littoral Combat Ships are constructed.\n\u201cMoreover, I\u2019m pleased that five amendments I offered to the House NDAA were included in the final NDAA conference report. Overall, the FY18 NDAA takes a step toward restoring vital funding, modernizing equipment, and providing our warfighters with the personnel and weaponry needed to protect America.\u201d\n* Congressman Brooks is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, sitting on the Strategic Forces and Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittees.\u00a0He is the founder and co-chair of the Army Aviation Caucus.\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/news-releases/brooks-applauds-final-passage-fy18-defense-bill"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0501011274755, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}