U.S. Representative Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) on June 16 supported the passage of H.R. 5293, appropriations for the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2017 and H.R. 5471, the Countering Terrorist Radicalization Act.

“Now more than ever, it is important to ensure that our armed forces, agencies and response units are equipped and ready to confront the threats facing our country,” said Rep. Denham. “We have a proud history and tradition of a strong national defense and I am confident that these bills will continue to uphold that legacy while maximizing preparedness and protections for the American people.”

H.R. 5293 increases funding from the previous year by $2.98 billion in an effort to close the military’s readiness gap. It appropriates funds for foreign support operations, initiatives to assist in efforts to combat the rise and prevent the spread of terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Additional counterterrorism efforts, such as the Counterterrorism Partnerships Fund and intelligence activities, are also addressed in the spending bill. H.R. 5293 allocates a portion of the budget to Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO), which includes funding for troops in the field and training with U.S. allies to restore peaceful relations in disruptive regions.

H.R. 5471 authorizes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide counterterrorism training for personnel, including countering violent extremism, identifying suspicious activities and increasing awareness of threats of terrorism. It requires DHS to formally establish the Counterterrorism Advisory Board, composed of senior representatives from all agencies within the Department and directed to hold regular meetings to review intelligence and create threat mitigation efforts to be coordinated between the Department, state and local partners as well as the private sector.