House Passes Supplemental Bill to Address VA Shortfall

House Passes Supplemental Bill to Address VA Shortfall

Today, the House of Representatives met to consider H.R. 9468, the Veterans Benefits Continuity and Accountability Supplemental Appropriations Act, which would provide $3 billion in mandatory funding for certain veteran benefits and holds the Biden-Harris Administration accountable for its egregious budgeting errors that caused the unprecedented shortfall. The measure was approved by voice vote.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said, "This egregious miscalculation by the Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs has not only raised serious questions but exposed a grave failure. Preventing any potential lapse in our veterans' benefits remains top priority for Congress. Our veterans earned these benefits through their unwavering service and sacrifice, and it should never be jeopardized because of this Administration's negligence. I thank Rep. Mike Garcia for his leadership on this bill to ensure veteran benefits remain uninterrupted and hold the Administration accountable for its budgeting errors."

House Appropriations Committee Member Mike Garcia said, "My district is home to one of the largest veteran populations in the country-men and women who served not for glory, but out of a deep belief in this nation. That trust was tested by the VA's budget failures, putting millions of veterans at risk of losing their benefits. Thankfully, the House came together in a rare moment of bipartisanship to pass my bill that prevents this disaster and demands accountability with real oversight to make sure every dollar is spent right. Our veterans deserve better than bureaucratic incompetence, and we're one step closer to fixing this broken system."

"Veterans and their families should never be left in limbo because the Biden-Harris administration and VA can't get their act together and properly manage the budget for veterans' benefits," said House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Bost. "Today with the passage of H.R. 9468, House Republicans, led by my fellow veteran, Rep. Garcia, would ensure that no veteran's disability compensation or education benefits are delayed. Through this bill, we are carrying out our responsibility to protect veterans and taxpayers and hold VA accountable for their budgeting mess. I urge the Senate to pass this bill and send it to the president's desk as quickly as possible."

House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole said, "Generation after generation, America continually stands as a beacon of freedom because of those who serve. We owe these heroes a simple promise: they'll be taken care of when they return home. Our veterans should never be without the benefits they earned, and today's vote is principal to that. The Biden-Harris Administration's reckless mismanagement of the VA's budget threatened resources relied on by former service members and marked one of the largest financial discrepancies in recent history. This incompetence won't be tolerated. I'm proud to act to ensure veteran benefits remain secure and enact needed oversight to guarantee full accountability and transparency."

House Appropriations Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee Chairman Judge Carter said, "The nation owes our freedoms to the men and women that served our country and in return, we made a commitment to them. The VA's mismanagement is unfair to America's veterans and a glaring example of the games this administration plays with our heroes. Today, House Republican appropriators made sure to right the administration's wrong and ensure veterans receive the benefits they're owed."

House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee Chairman Ken Calvert said, "Today, the House upheld its commitment to our veterans by ensuring they continue to receive the benefits they have earned. It's critical the VA take the necessary steps to avoid this situation in the future. I hope this legislation is quickly approved by the Senate and signed into law by the President to relieve any concerns our veterans may have about receiving their benefits."

House Appropriations Legislative Branch Subcommittee Chairman David Valadao said, "The VA failed to properly manage their budget this year, putting benefits for millions of veterans at risk. This is unacceptable, and we cannot allow our veterans to pay the price for the VA's mismanagement. This legislation makes good on our nation's commitment to care for the men and women who served our country, while taking critical steps to ensure the VA is held accountable. Our veterans have made incredible sacrifices for our country, and we owe it to them to ensure they have access to the benefits they've earned."

Background:
The Department of Veteran Affairs' (VA) failure to properly budget and account for enrollment growth and staffing costs in its budgetary process resulted in an unprecedented funding shortfall in veteran benefits for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2024 and into Fiscal Year 2025.

The House Appropriations Committee was notified of the potential shortfall in July - four months after the Biden-Harris Administration submitted its Budget Request and following the markup of FY25 legislation in both chambers of Congress. The VA's updated projections indicated a need of approximately $15 billion above what was originally requested, including an additional $3 billion for the remainder of FY24 for Compensation and Pensions and Readjustment Benefits (mandatory funding) and an additional $12 billion for FY25 for VA medical care (discretionary funding).

The Veterans Benefits Continuity and Accountability Supplemental Appropriations Act addresses the $3 billion shortfall in mandatory funding, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates would have no net budget effects. The bill also includes language that holds the Administration accountable, requiring a report to be submitted to Congress no later than 30 days after enactment as to why these budgetary errors took place and ways the VA is addressing its failure to accurately project needs and recurring reports on the status of funds of these accounts moving forward.

In addition to H.R. 9468, the following veterans' bills were passed out of the House:

H.R. 6324 - Fiscal Year 2024 Veterans Affairs Major Medical Facility Authorization Act, as amended (Rep. Bost)
H.R. 7777 - Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2024 (Rep. Luttrell)
H.R. 7100 - Prioritizing Veterans' Survivors Act (Rep. Ciscomani)
H.R. 4424 - Vietnam Veterans Liver Fluke Cancer Study Act, as amended (Rep. LaLota)
H.R. 7816 - Clear Communication for Veterans Claims Act, as amended (Rep. Duarte)
H.R. 7342 - Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee Act of 2024, as amended (Rep. Valadao)
H.R. 5464 - To name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Guntersville, Alabama, as the "Colonel Ola Lee Mize Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic" (Rep. Aderholt)
H.R. 4190 - Restoring Benefits to Defrauded Veterans Act, as amended (Rep. Trone/Rep. Ciscomani)
H.R. 2911 - Fairness for Servicemembers and their Families Act of 2024, as amended (Rep. Strickland)

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