Congressman Bill Owens (D-Plattsburgh) has voted in favor the Fiscal Year 2014 Department of Defense Appropriations Act, which the House passed by a vote of 315 to 109.

The legislation funds the nation’s military efforts overseas, as well as health and quality of life programs for service members and their families.

“I am pleased to support the defense spending bill for fiscal year 2014, which is a product of months of bipartisan work in an extremely difficult budget environment,” Owens said.

The bill, approved in the House Wednesday, provides $512.5 billion in non-war funding, which is approximately $28.1 billion above the current level caused by sequestration cuts, and $85.8 billion in war funding for Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO).

The bill also provides money for suicide prevention, initiatives to respond to sexual assault in the armed services, a potential future East Coast missile site, and a 1.8 percent pay raise for active duty personnel.

Owens, whose district includes the northern tier of the state, serves on the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, which drafts the annual defense spending bill.