[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 144 (Tuesday, September 17, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H5285-H5288]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
VETERANS BENEFITS CONTINUITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY SUPPLEMENTAL
APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
Mr. MIKE GARCIA of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the
rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9468) making supplemental appropriations
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 9468
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the
following sums are appropriated, out of any money in the
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 2024, and for other purposes, namely:
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Veterans Benefits Administration
compensation and pensions
For an additional amount for ``Compensation and Pensions'',
$2,285,513,000, to remain available until expended.
Veterans Benefits Administration
readjustment benefits
For an additional amount for ``Readjustment Benefits'',
$596,969,000, to remain available until expended.
GENERAL PROVISIONS--THIS ACT
Sec. 101. Each amount appropriated or made available by
this Act is in addition to amounts otherwise appropriated for
the fiscal year involved.
Sec. 102. Unless otherwise provided for by this Act, the
additional amounts appropriated by this Act to appropriations
accounts shall be available under the authorities and
conditions applicable to such appropriations accounts for
fiscal year 2024.
Sec. 103. (a) Budget Formulation and Forecasting.--Not
later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act,
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the
Committees on Appropriations and the Committees on Veterans
Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a
report detailing corrections the Department will make to
improve forecasting, data quality and budget assumptions
relating to budget submissions for funds provided under the
headings ``Compensations and Pensions'' and ``Readjustment
Benefits''.
(b) Reporting Requirement.--Not later than 60 days after
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations and the
Committees on Veterans Affairs of the House of
Representatives and the Senate a report on status of funds
made available under the headings ``Compensations and
Pensions'' and ``Readjustment Benefits'' for fiscal years
2024, 2025, and 2026 in this or any other Act: Provided, That
such report shall be updated and submitted to such Committees
every 90 days thereafter until September 30, 2026, and shall
include information detailing any changes to estimates or
assumptions on obligations and expenditures, including data
supporting these changes.
Sec. 104. (a) The Inspector General of the Department of
Veterans Affairs shall conduct a review of the circumstances
surrounding and the underlying causes of the announced
funding shortfall for the Veterans Benefits Administration
for fiscal year 2024 described in the letter to Congress from
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on July 19, 2024, and the
announced funding shortfall for the Veterans Health
Administration in fiscal year 2025 described in the letter to
Congress from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on July 31,
2024.
(b) Relating to the shortfall in the funding of the
Veterans Benefits Administration in fiscal year 2024 and the
expected shortfall in the funding of the Veterans Health
Administration in fiscal year 2025, the review shall include,
but not be limited to: a comparison of monthly obligations
and expenditures in relevant accounts against the spend plan
of the Department; the reasons for any significant diversions
of obligations or expenditures from the spend plan; an
analysis of the accuracy of projections and estimates
relevant to such diversions; and any other matter determined
relevant by the Inspector General.
(c) Relating to the expected shortfall in the funding of
the Veterans Health Administration in fiscal year 2025, the
review also shall include: any changes, abnormalities, or
significant events as determined significant by the Inspector
General of the Department of Veterans Affairs in the
transfer, reallocation, or other movement of funding between
or within the Central Office, a Veterans Integrated Service
Network, a facility, a program or office, a special purpose
fund, the Veterans Equitable Resource Allocation process, or
the Medical Center Allocation System.
(d) Actions the Department of Veterans Affairs can take to
improve the accuracy of supporting information submitted
under section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, with
respect to the Department of Veterans Affairs and to prevent
funding shortfalls for the Department.
(e) Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans
Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations and
the Committees on Veterans Affairs of the House of
Representatives and the Senate a report detailing the conduct
and findings of the review.
This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Benefits
Continuity and Accountability Supplemental Appropriations
Act, 2024''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Mike Garcia) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms.
Wasserman Schultz) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. MIKE GARCIA of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent
that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and
extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 9468.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. MIKE GARCIA of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time
as I may consume.
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On September 17, 2024, page H5285, in the third column, the
following appeared: Mr. GARCIA of California. Mr.
The online version has been corrected to read: Mr. MIKE GARCIA
of California. Mr.
========================= END NOTE =========================
Mr. Speaker, today I stand in support of this very important veterans
supplemental bill.
My district, as you know, is home to one of the largest veteran
populations in the country. From World War II to the global war on
terror, we take pride in knowing that our sons and daughters have
answered their Nation's call to duty time and time again without
hesitation.
They answered the call not for personal gain and not for personal
glory but out of a deep love for their country and out of deep
patriotism and a belief that their government, including the VA, would
always stand behind them.
They didn't ask for much, just that their government keep its end of
the bargain. Right now, that belief, that trust, is being tested.
Due to the VA's mismanagement of their budget, 7 million veterans
will lose their benefits beginning on October 4 without congressional
action.
They will lose their pension benefits, they will lose their GI Bill
benefits, their burial benefits, life insurance payments, and survivor
benefits. This is a cliff that happens on September 20 and will affect
their payments as of October 1.
As a combat veteran and a former Naval aviator, I was not comfortable
allowing these benefits to simply lapse.
My bill, the Veterans Benefits Continuity and Accountability
Supplemental Appropriations Act, will step in to fill the VA's $2.88
billion shortfall as a result of their mismanagement, helping to avoid
a disastrous funding cliff and stepping in where the VA failed.
My bill does more than just provide funding. It demands
accountability, which is desperately needed here. It includes oversight
measures like an inspector general investigation and a requirement for
the VA to open its financial records to Congress.
We need to know exactly how this shortfall occurred and ensure that
every dollar is spent appropriately. To that end, within 30 days, this
bill requires a report from the VA on corrections made to the budget
with assumptions for the President's budget request to avoid this type
of shortfall next year.
Within 60 days, this bill requires a report on how the VA spent the
funds appropriated by this bill and requires this report every 90 days
through FY26.
At the 180-day mark, it requires a report from the inspector general
on the findings of his investigation into the causes of this shortfall.
We can't afford to leave our vets high and dry without the medical
care and GI benefits that they have earned, but we also can't afford to
just give the VA a blank check without figuring out the root cause of
the issue to be solved.
[[Page H5286]]
This isn't just about funding. It is about fixing a broken system and
ensuring that our veterans aren't left behind simply because of
bureaucratic failures. They deserve better, and it is on us as Members
of Congress and as their Representatives to fix this and get it right.
I thank Chairman Cole and the Appropriations Committee, Chairman Bost
and the Committee on Veterans Affairs, as well as Chairman Carter of
the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and
Related Agencies for their support on this bill and their ongoing
investigation into the shortfall to get answers for our vets.
We owe it to them, our veterans, to honor their service and fulfill
our country's promise to them. We made a commitment to these men and
women, and we cannot afford to fall short. This bill does exactly that,
and I strongly encourage my colleagues to support it.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 9468. This bill will alleviate
a shortfall in the Veterans Benefits Administration by providing $3
billion, ensuring veterans receive the benefits that they have
rightfully earned.
Without this funding, veterans' and survivors' payments to over
500,000 individuals scheduled to be delivered on October 1 will be at
risk.
This shortfall, unlike what the gentleman just referred to, exists
because the PACT Act is working. Ever since it was signed into law, the
VA has been hard at work finding veterans in need of care and cutting
through the bureaucracy to get them the benefits and medical care that
they deserve.
There are now a record number of veterans receiving disability or
compensation benefits, 6.6 million, up from 6.3 million last year.
The VA is hard at work, processing a record number of claims
exceeding 2 million, on pace to break last year's record by 30 percent.
Veterans are also using the GI Bill and job training benefits at record
rates.
Funding this shortfall will ensure that the VA continues delivering
for veterans. However, this bill alone will not address all the
pressing funding needs at the VA.
We know that the VA requires more funding to ensure that the PACT Act
is fully implemented in the next fiscal year.
There is another $12 billion shortfall for FY 2025 in the Veterans
Health Administration also due to increasing demands from the PACT Act.
The smoke and mirrors that is being stirred up by our friends on the
other side of the aisle is just that. There is massive demand for
healthcare benefits and the additional PACT Act benefits that,
thankfully, Democrats provided under President Biden and Vice President
Harris' leadership.
You can see the fact that more veterans are enrolling in VA care.
Over 412,000 have enrolled in the last 365 days, a 27 percent increase
year over year. The VA has also seen a record number of healthcare
appointments, on pace for 127 million in 2024, well exceeding the
previous year's record.
The VA's targeted and aggressive outreach to veterans ensures that
they know about the care and benefits the bipartisan PACT Act made
available and shows that it is working.
Although this $3 billion for benefits is critical, I urge my
Republican colleagues to also support the $12 billion that is needed
for healthcare in FY 2025 in the continuing budget resolution.
People who are listening to this discussion should know that
inexplicably, this funding has been excluded by the Republican majority
in the CR that goes until March that we understand we are likely voting
on tomorrow.
Our friends on the other side of the aisle are going to deprive
veterans of the vital healthcare that the PACT Act requires that they
receive and continue to cloud the ability for us to be able to get our
veterans that care.
I am a show-me person, not a tell-me person, and so we need to show
the veterans who have earned these benefits that the PACT Act requires
we provide for them, and we do that by making sure that we address the
shortfall that is the result of the demand that we knew there was.
For so many years, veterans were denied access to the care that they
earned. The clear exposure to toxic substances while they were in
battle and while they were defending our country resulted in illnesses
that now the PACT Act allows them to get access to that healthcare and
ensure that it is covered.
If we don't fulfill that $12 billion and make sure that those
resources are available to our veterans, then our friends on the other
side of the aisle will be responsible for that.
As I have said, I support this bill before us, but I am disappointed
that my colleagues across the aisle did not work in a bipartisan manner
to draft this legislation.
Let me be clear; it is not perfect. There is a reporting requirement
that I would have written differently if we were consulted on that
language, but it is critical that we get this funding to our veterans
and survivors before funding runs out.
Therefore, I do urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MIKE GARCIA of California. Mr. Speaker, to clarify, I appreciate
the bipartisan support for this stopgap measure, but this isn't smoke
and mirrors.
There are more veterans. There are more benefits. These are good
things. All we are asking for is that the President's budget request
and the congressional processes reflect the higher demands and thus,
the higher dollar values, but also hopefully gain more efficiency and,
frankly, have the dollars go a little bit further through the VA
processes.
That is why the reporting language in this bill is very important,
but I am glad that this does have bipartisan support.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from the great State
of California (Mr. Valadao), a member of the Subcommittee on Military
Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies and a hero to the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Mr. VALADAO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
I rise today in support of the Veterans Benefits Continuity and
Accountability Supplemental Appropriations Act, which addresses the $3
billion mandatory shortfall for disability and education benefits that
the VA expects to face in October.
Our veterans have made incredible sacrifices for our country, and it
is our responsibility to guarantee they receive the benefits they have
earned.
We are debating this legislation today because the VA failed to
properly manage their budget this year, putting the benefits of
millions of veterans at risk.
This is unacceptable. Our veterans should not 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 have served our country.
It also requires greater oversight on the budget process moving
forward to hold the VA accountable so that this does not happen again.
I look forward to voting ``yes'' on this legislation to ensure our
veterans can continue to access the benefits that they have earned.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the
gentleman from California (Mr. Takano), the distinguished ranking
member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend and colleague, the
gentlewoman from Florida, for yielding, and I associate myself with all
of what she has said in the debate so far.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 9468, legislation
that addresses a critical funding shortfall at the Veterans Benefits
Administration, which could delay delivery of crucial veterans'
education and disability benefits.
Now, when we passed the Honoring our PACT Act into law, we intended
that the VA move quickly to implement the law.
This speed was necessary so that veterans who needed care and
benefits could receive them as quickly as possible. We also gave VA the
money necessary to do the work and the authority to move more quickly,
if it could.
On day one, President Biden accelerated implementation of the law.
One year later, VA also hit the gas so that more veterans could enroll
in VA healthcare more quickly. VA set aggressive goals, and what we are
seeing
[[Page H5287]]
right now is the result of VA exceeding those goals.
VA has granted almost 1.2 million PACT Act disability claims.
Hundreds of thousands of new veterans have been enrolled in healthcare
at VA. GI Bill and job training benefits are being used at
unprecedented levels to further veterans' education and careers.
These are all good things, and I don't think my colleagues on the
other side of the aisle are arguing that they are bad.
Their rhetoric regarding VA's financial management belies their true
motive here, which is to take any and every opportunity to bash the
Biden-Harris administration, in this case for simply providing care and
benefits to veterans.
From what we have heard today, it sounds like Republicans are
begrudgingly willing to fund VBA, when this is the bare minimum that we
should be doing.
While I am glad that we are getting the VBA supplemental completed
this week, I am very concerned and, frankly, disappointed that we are
also not taking action on the $12 billion Veterans Health
Administration shortfall.
The deadline for the VHA shortfall is not this week, but that does
not make it any less pressing. The time when VHA will need this funding
is fast approaching, and this Congress has not shown itself to be
capable of reliably passing funding bills on time.
Republicans have even refused to include VHA funding in their
continuing resolution text that was introduced last week and is up for
a vote tomorrow.
I have heard the chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee say that
Congress never fails to fund the VA, and so I am confident that this
VBA supplemental will pass easily with plenty of support from both
sides of the aisle, but why the political games with veterans'
healthcare?
Why not address it now while we are here working on VBA funding and
provide veterans and their families and the VA workforce some much-
needed stability? Why not include it in the CR we are voting on
tomorrow?
{time} 1830
We must get VHA the funding it needs to provide world-class
healthcare to those who served. Any delay in that care could be
devastating for veterans. Enough of the brinksmanship. Republicans are
shorting veterans and their families by not addressing VHA funding now
along with VBA funding. Democrats are once again charged with being the
adults in the room and are calling on the majority to do the right
thing. Pass all of the funding VA needs now and stop any uncertainty
for veterans. Let's get this done.
VHA's need for an additional $12 billion is not malfeasance or
incompetence. More veterans than ever before are accessing VA
healthcare. We should be celebrating and applauding that fact, not
denigrating VA and its hardworking staff. When every VA request for
additional funding is met with suspicion, accusations of mismanagement,
and derision of VA, what is the true motivation of my colleagues? Is it
to ensure that VA is able to ensure the necessary care and benefits to
veterans or is it to extract a pound of political flesh?
I have no doubt that this bill will pass. It includes added reporting
requirements that will aid us in our oversight responsibilities, which
I support. However, let us not assign blame where there is none, and
let us not denigrate those who wake up daily to do their best to serve
those who have served our Nation.
Whatever we do, Mr. Speaker, let us get VA all the resources it needs
to deliver for our veterans.
Mr. MIKE GARCIA of California. Mr. Speaker, this isn't about getting
a pound of political flesh or making this about Republicans versus
Democrats, left versus right. This is about doing what is right for our
veterans. The fact is, there is a real cliff that hits at the end of
this week, and tying it to a CR is a disservice. We shouldn't use
veterans as political pawns within the CR conversation.
Facts are stubborn things. The executive branch owns the VA. The VA
is part of the executive branch. Before we discuss the $12 billion
shortfall in FY25 funding, we should require a root cause analysis to
be done on why we have a shortfall this year itself. From there we will
move forward.
You have our commitment as a Republican majority that we will never
let the benefits of our veterans lapse as a result of anything, much
less, frankly, lack of oversight by the executive branch.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Mrs.
Bice), a member of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and
Related Agencies Subcommittee.
Mrs. BICE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 9468, which
addresses the VA's budget shortfall.
The Biden administration shared news of this impending budget gap
days before we left in July with very little information on why there
was a shortfall. In fact, following several inquiries from my office,
the administration still has not been able to fully substantiate why
the budget projections were so off.
I thank my friend and colleague, Mike Garcia, for his strong
leadership in authoring this bill. Ensuring the men and women who
honorably served our Nation are provided the medical care and benefits
that they have earned is my top priority. I am also pleased the bill
includes new reporting and accountability requirements to ensure this
type of budget mismanagement does not occur again in the future.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to support H.R. 9468 to
preserve the benefits of our veterans.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
distinguished gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the ranking
member of the Appropriations Committee.
Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Wasserman Schultz
for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation, which would
provide our Nation's veterans with the benefits that they have duly
earned in their selfless service and sacrifice to our Nation.
Veterans Affairs is imminently facing a shortfall. Why? Don't listen
to mismanagement and other things. Why? It is because of successful
efforts of the administration to identify and reach veterans across the
country who are entitled to these benefits.
We signed something called the PACT Act, which says that
servicepeople in all wars were going to be able to get medical services
if they were exposed to toxic chemicals and to burn pits. That opened
up a wide gulf of individuals who were going to take advantage of these
medical services.
This is a success story. We should applaud the Biden-Harris
administration for ensuring America is holding up its promises to our
brave veterans. We shouldn't come kicking and screaming to it. We
should applaud doing what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, I am disappointed that the majority did not work across
the aisle on this bill to ensure we are meeting all of our veterans'
needs. While I support this bill, it falls short of what is needed to
ensure that veterans exposed to toxic substances receive the care they
deserve and require.
Two summers ago, again, we enacted that PACT Act. We promised our
veterans that they would see the benefits of medical care that they
require after exposure to toxic substances with dedicated funding. We
need to provide the additional $12 billion. It is not there. This is
$12 billion for medical services which they have not included. Medical
services for our veterans.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Yakym). The time of the gentlewoman has
expired.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to
the gentlewoman from Connecticut.
Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, we need to provide the additional $12
billion to ensure there is no interruption for our veterans'
healthcare, which the majority failed to include in this bill and in
their half-year continuing resolution that they are going to bring to
the floor tomorrow.
One thing that is unbelievable in that bill coming up tomorrow is
they tell the Veterans Administration to spend faster on the medical
services, except they put no money in for medical services, so spend
faster on zero dollars. It is laughable, but it is very, very serious
and detrimental to our veterans.
[[Page H5288]]
Mr. Speaker, I support this bill, and I urge my colleagues to vote in
favor of it.
Mr. MIKE GARCIA of California. Mr. Speaker, I just want to reiterate
again, facts are stubborn things. The VA is part of the executive
branch. We have a higher demand. We know the PACT Act exists. Let's
have the President ask for a commensurate level of money before going
to Congress. The PBR, President's budget request, should reflect this
higher demand.
This is one of the issues with root cause. That is what we are asking
for, not just giving the money to the VA, but getting to the root
cause.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Illinois (Mr. Bost), the chairman of the Veterans Affairs'
Committee.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 9468, offered
by my friend and fellow veteran--let me say that again, friend and
fellow veteran--because when our side over here is talking, we are
talking as veterans who understand the issues. Representative Mike
Garcia of California is carrying this bill. I thank him for his
service. I am a veteran.
Today, we are carrying out our responsibility to protect our veterans
and taxpayers. This bill would appropriate $2.88 billion to make sure
that veterans' disability compensation and education payments will
continue without delay.
We also expect the Department of Veterans Affairs to handle the
taxpayers' money responsibly. That is why the bill would also force VA
to improve their budget and provide more information on how they handle
the benefits funding because, Mr. Speaker, the Biden-Harris
administration should never have put VA in this position in the first
place. The VA shortfall is yet another prime example of critical
mismanagement by the current administration.
This bill would also direct the inspector general to do a top-to-
bottom audit of the reasons for the healthcare and benefits shortfall.
I have been getting half answers from executives at VA for 2 months
about this shortfall.
The Biden-Harris administration has asked Congress to hand over
another $12 billion right now based on eight pages of old numbers that
don't add up. That is not what our constituents sent us here to do.
They expect me, as the chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee and
as a Member of Congress, to ask very important questions and get to the
bottom of the reality of what is happening, and that is what I intend
to do.
This legislation is a step in the right direction, and it upholds the
House Republicans' commitment to always care for men and women who have
served our military. I am proud to support it. Whenever the statement
is made about the fact that Republicans aren't doing that, yes, we are,
but we are doing it with the responsibility of exactly what we are
supposed to be doing, and that is giving oversight. Somehow the other
side of the aisle forgets that we have to do that, and for some reason
the administration doesn't want to answer the questions we are asking.
Mr. Speaker, our responsibility is to look over the budget and make
sure it is being spent wisely. Remember, the VA was not created for the
VA; it was created for the veterans, and that is what this language
does.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I don't have any additional
speakers. I yield myself the balance of my time to close.
Mr. Speaker, do you know what is a stubborn thing? Math. Math is a
stubborn thing. As I have mentioned earlier, this bill falls short of
supporting the full funding needs for the VA. It is very simple.
The VA has told us that by March of 2025, which is only a few months
away, they will need an additional $12 billion for veterans'
healthcare. There is nothing mysterious about this.
I am not that good at math, but the VA has reported that they are
delivering more appointments to veterans than ever before, and that has
something directly to do with why they need the additional resources.
In fact, there have been 91 million appointments thus far in 2024,
outpacing last year's total. The VA expects to see 127 million
appointments by the end of this month.
The VA has also reported that costs for drugs and prosthetic devices
are higher due to market pressures. Additionally, community care costs
will need to grow by 16.5 percent next year in order to deliver
anticipated community care needs for veterans.
Math is a difficult thing, apparently, for our friends on the other
side of the aisle. Despite these warnings, my colleagues across the
aisle have decided to ignore the VA, to obfuscate, to create smoke and
mirrors.
Mr. Speaker, I spent the morning with over 100 of my veterans who
served in World War II, the Korean conflict, and the Vietnam war, and I
promised them I was coming back here to make sure that we addressed
this $3 billion shortfall and that we would ensure that we fully
implemented the PACT Act and ensured that veterans who were exposed to
toxic substances would have their care covered. The PACT Act presumes,
Mr. Speaker, that that exposure is what caused their illnesses, caused
the disease that so many had to struggle with getting the ability to
have that healthcare paid for until the PACT Act became law.
Despite these warnings, my colleagues across the aisle have decided
to ignore the VA. In their continuing resolution, which would end on
March 28, and which we expect to vote on tomorrow, they purposefully
excluded any additional funding for veterans.
I will remind you, Mr. Speaker, and my colleagues, that when we
committed that we would make sure that the PACT Act funds were
guaranteed, that we had guaranteed funding so that we wouldn't leave
the funding for veterans' healthcare to the whims of the appropriations
process, as we do every year, our friends on the other side of the
aisle decided to put a bill together that denied that guaranteed
funding.
They denied that guaranteed funding repeatedly until they were
finally shamed into living up to our commitment to our veterans. This
funding is needed to hire more medical professionals, deal with the
growing cost of community care, relieve cost growth issues for pharmacy
and prosthetics. We have to make sure that we are there for them.
The bottom line is that this bill that is here before us is a good
first step in addressing the funding pressures the VA is experiencing
due to the administration's successful implementation of the PACT Act,
but it fails to address the additional funding needs in healthcare.
I encourage my colleagues across the aisle to include the funding in
a CR that is necessary for the VA to ensure that our veterans receive
the quality care that we promised them, that the law requires, and that
they deserve.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
{time} 1845
Mr. MIKE GARCIA of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the
balance of my time.
Just a reminder, there is $140 billion cash on hand by the VA in
discretionary dollars for FY 2025. This bill works to close the gap for
FY 2024 to the tune of $2.88 billion.
This is an opportunity for every single Member of Congress to show
their support for our veterans across the Nation, 7 million of them.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support for H.R. 9468, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Fulcher). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Mike Garcia) that the
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 9468.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________