Statement on Signing the Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019

Today I signed into law important legislation to rebuild our military, protect our communities, and deliver a better future for all Americans.

The bill I signed today increases our defense spending to a record $716 billion, which includes the largest pay raise for our warriors in nearly a decade. My administration has secured funding to order 93 new F-35 Lightning Joint Strike Fighters, 142 Apache and Black Hawk helicopters, and 13 Navy battle force ships—made right here in the U.S.A. This is the first time in more than a decade that our Defense Department has been given a full year of funding on time without relying on continuing resolutions.

The bill I signed today also secures additional funding for border security, including $1.6 billion, annualized, to keep building the wall. Unfortunately, the radical Democrats refuse to support border security and want drugs and crime to pour into our country. It also provides an estimated $1.5 billion to increase school safety; increases funding for school choice by $42 million; increases funding for veterans vocational education and for the landmark Perkins Career and Technical Education legislation; and secures $6.7 billion to address substance use and mental health, including opioid and heroin abuse.

America is being respected again, and our people are being protected again. I am pleased to have signed this bill into law.