*Administration of Donald J. Trump, 2018 *

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

*September 28, 2018 *

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.

NOTE: H.R. 6157, approved September 28, was assigned Public Law No. 115–245.

*Categories:* Bill Signings and Vetoes : Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019, signing statement*.*

*Subjects:* Armed Forces, U.S. : Funding; Defense and national security : Border security; Drug abuse and trafficking : Opioid epidemic, efforts to combat; Education : School security, improvement efforts; Health and medical care : Mental health programs and services; Legislation, enacted : Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019; Legislation, enacted : Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019; Veterans : Job training and education assistance.

*DCPD Number:* DCPD201800643.