“Doing right by our vets is a moral obligation. This legislation delivers the funding to live up to that promise,” said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. “Passing this [bill] is the best way to make sure that federal spending solves problems for people at home.”
The Senate bill was adopted as part of a two-bill package of appropriations that also included funding for the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. The package was adopted by a vote of 87-9.
The two-bill package sends $153 billion in discretionary funds to the VA and military construction projects and $27 billion in total to the Agriculture Department and FDA.
The appropriations bills were the first to win approval in the Senate. Government funding runs out for fiscal 2025 on Sept. 30 and the Senate must approve a dozen spending bills for next fiscal year.
“Congress has constitutional responsibility on the power of the purse,” said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the Senate Appropriations Committee chairwoman. “These bills mean a great deal to us.”
“When both sides work together, we can get things done,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
The VA funding bill provides about $300 billion for mandatory veterans benefits, including disability compensation, education assistance, vocational rehabilitation and employment training.
Funds include $18.9 billion for mental health, $3.5 billion to address homelessness, $3.5 billion for the at-home caregivers program, $943 million for medical and prosthetic research, $1.4 billion for women’s health and $342 million for rural health initiatives.
The VA’s toxic exposures fund, which provides health care for veterans sickened from exposure to hazardous materials during military service, will increase to approximately $52 billion from $30 billion in 2025.
The legislation funds $19.8 billion for the Defense Department’s military construction program, including $1.9 billion to improve and maintain housing for service members and their families.
The bill also allows VA doctors for the first time to recommend medical marijuana as an alternative health care treatment in states where cannabis is legal.
Murray said the VA budget bill puts into statute mandated minimum funding levels for critical VA programs that include rural health care and women’s health care. It also requires the VA to maintain certain staffing levels to support programs, she said.
“Crucially, we don’t just have investments in this bill but also new provisions to hold this and any administration accountable to deliver for our veterans,” Murray said.
Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., said the spending plan provides funds to help the VA with recruiting to fill critical vacancies at VA medical facilities as the nation faces a shortage of doctors and nurses.
Schumer said the VA spending bill effectively erases “the DOGE cuts on veterans,” a reference to the Department of Government Efficiency organized by tech billionaire Elon Musk to slash staff and programs across federal government including at the VA.
The legislation also has a provision prohibiting the VA from purchasing technology equipment made by Chinese companies flagged by the departments of Defense, Treasury, Commerce or Homeland Security, lawmakers said.
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