WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Mike Bost (IL-12) today voted for a funding package that keeps the federal government operating through the remainder of the current fiscal year, which ends in September. The bipartisan legislation – which passed the House with a 256-167 bipartisan majority – includes Rep. Bost’s legislation to help schools acquire and install panic buttons for alerting law enforcement to incidents of classroom violence.

“This legislation makes significant reforms that are win-wins for Southern Illinois,” said Bost. “This legislation represents significant progress in our efforts to combat the opioid epidemic, strengthen our military, rebuild our aging infrastructure, and improve school safety. I am pleased that we’ve come together to provide a sense of certainty for our military members and hardworking families in Southern Illinois at a time they need it most.”

Important measures included in the FY 2018 Omnibus package:

• Fights the opioid epidemic with largest investment to date
• Rebuilds U.S. military and fully funds a 2.4% pay raise for the troops
• Investment in school safety efforts and mental health training programs
• Improves the nation’s aging infrastructure through transportation, energy, water, and cyber projects
• Fixes the ‘grain glitch’ (Sec 199A of the Tax Code) to provide an equitable solution for the agriculture community.

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