Press Releases

WASHINGTON, DC--U.S. Congressman Rick Allen (R-Ga.-12) released the following statement on H.R. 2029, the Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2016, commonly known as the Omnibus.

“Last week, the House passed H.R. 2029, the Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2016, or as it’s more commonly known—the Omnibus. While this legislation was far from perfect, it provided critical funding for the expansion of Ft. Gordon, allocated funds to deepen the Port of Savannah, lifted the ban on U.S. oil exports, worked to protect our state and industries from harmful water regulations and provided critical funding for our nation’s military. Especially now, national security must be a top priority. If the House did not pass the Omnibus, the next option would have been a Continuing Resolution, which would not have funded any of the previously mentioned programs and would have gutted military funding.”

H.R. 2029, the Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2016:

For Georgia:

• Includes critical funding for defense and nondefense programs, such as the Cyber Command, and Fort Gordon will receive $90 million for military construction
• Reauthorizes the Augusta Canal for two years
• Includes $21 million in federal funding for the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project
• Provides needed funding for a new poultry lab at the University of Georgia
• Made harmful language null and void that would have cost the state of Georgia millions of dollars and involved the federal government in the use of Georgia’s waters

For the Country:

• Ends the 1975 ban on the export of American oil, which in turn will grow our economy and create jobs
• Strengthens the Visa Waiver Program to protect the safety of our country and citizens by denying visa waiver status to any individual who has traveled to certain terrorist hotspots, including Syria and Iraq in the last five years
• Prohibits new funding for Obamacare
• Repeals mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) requirements on American meats, ensuring our country is not burdened with more than $1 billion in trade penalties
• Prevents the transfer of Guantanamo detainees to American soil