Congressman Chuck Fleischmann issued the following statement upon the House passage of the Bipartisan Budget Act:
“The current governing trend of short-term solutions and budgetary instability is detrimental to the security of our nation.
Secretary Mattis recently stated the urgent need for fiscal stability for our service members by accommodating the requests made by the Pentagon to maintain our world class military. Our men and women in uniform perform the most noble of tasks, and they deserve the budgetary certainty that this resolution provides.
"In addition, our nation’s infrastructure has been neglected due to short-term fixes in place of long-term solutions. This budget agreement provides funding for infrastructure projects including bridge repair and construction. In East Tennessee, short-term continuing resolutions have hampered the progress of the Chickamauga Lock, an essential infrastructural investment.
"While I have serious reservations in respect to spending increases, I have witnessed the harmful impact of this uncertain funding climate to Tennessee’s Third District and our nation. We can no longer accept the status quo of budgetary instability that hinders our military, and impedes major projects in East Tennessee.
"I believe that the budgetary certainty provided by this bipartisan compromise marks an important shift away from short-term funding measures. In this difficult situation, my priority remains with East Tennesseans, our troops, and our nation, and that is why I support this legislation.”