[Pages H2937-H2956]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND RELATED AGENCIES
APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2026

General Leave

Mr. ALFORD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include extraneous material on H.R. 3944, and that I may include
tabular material on the same.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Haridopolos). Is there objection to the
request of the gentleman from Missouri?
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 530 and rule
XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House
on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill, H.R. 3944.
The Chair appoints the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Loudermilk) to
preside over the Committee of the Whole.

{time} 1214

In the Committee of the Whole

Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the
Whole House on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill
(H.R. 3944) making appropriations for military construction, the
Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal
year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes, with Mr.
Loudermilk in the chair.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The CHAIR. Pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered read the
first time. General debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not
exceed 1 hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking
minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective
designees.
The gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Alford) and the gentlewoman from
Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.
Mr. ALFORD. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I am honored to present the fiscal year 2026 Military Construction,
Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill to the House
today. This bill supports our troops, their families, and our Nation's
veterans.
The bill includes nearly $18 billion for military construction
efforts. It is critical that our servicemembers and their families have
the infrastructure and support they need. This bill delivers to
construct and improve military housing, childcare centers, and other
quality-of-life components that are so important to those who risk so
much.
This bill continues to build on investments that strengthen our
national security through the construction of modern infrastructure and
improvements to critical quality-of-life facilities for our
servicemembers and their families.
Additionally, we continue to provide significant funding to build
upon prior years' work to enable the Department of Defense to meet the
challenges in the Indo-Pacific.
The bill honors our commitment to our Nation's veterans and to our
troops. To honor that commitment, the bill provides full funding for
healthcare and benefits for veterans. Our veterans have earned these
benefits, and we are making good on our promises to them. That includes
fully funding our commitment to the PACT Act.
The bill continues robust investments in women's health, rural
health, veterans' homelessness issues, and mental health. The
legislation maintains all the funding for medical and prosthetic
research. It increases funding for VA infrastructure and supports
Arlington National Cemetery. It invests in the improvement, operations,
and maintenance of burial grounds for those who have sacrificed.
I thank Ranking Member Wasserman Schultz. I am glad we are at this
step in the process and hope that we continue to work together to
support our troops and our veterans.
Everyone--everyone, Mr. Chair--should understand that this bill cares
for our veterans. It supports our troops and their families. This bill
keeps the promises that we have made to our heroes.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3944, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I, unfortunately, could not possibly disagree with the gentleman from
Missouri (Mr. Alford), my friend, more on the description of this bill,
which is why I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 3944, the fiscal year
2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
bill.
While I unfortunately cannot support the bill on the floor today, I
will say in Chairman Carter's absence that I am thankful and
appreciative of the work that we have been able to accomplish together
over the years on this subcommittee. I know he and I both prioritize
quality of life for our servicemembers and their families and caring
for our veterans.
Unfortunately, this bill hurtles us toward VA privatization, a top
Project 2025 priority that undercuts what veterans consistently ask us
for in Congress. They want high-quality medical care at the VA; not
privatized care that takes longer to receive.
By transferring record funding from VA medical services to community
care, which is a 67 percent increase of $14 billion, this bill pushes
veterans into private care, even though veteran polls and studies show
that when given the option, veterans prefer to receive their medical
care at the VA.
In 2024, veteran trust in VA healthcare rose to a record 92 percent.
We should build on this success, not kick veterans to an already
crowded private market. I understand that there is a need for community
care, especially for veterans in rural areas and specialty care when
necessary, and when appointments at the VA are scarce.
However, countless studies show that when veterans seek care at
private hospitals and clinics, they wait longer to see providers, and
they get worse care. They know VA medical professionals choose this
work due to their mission to care for our veterans, and that is
something the private sector simply cannot replicate.

We should invest more in VA provider recruitment and retention
incentives, increase benefits counselors and adjudicators, not ignore
veterans' wishes and speed recklessly into privatization.
On the military construction side, this bill underfunds military
construction by $904 million compared to the President's budget
request, and fails to fund some specific needs such as installation
resilience and NATO infrastructure commitments. As Russia continues to
wage an illegal war in Ukraine and threaten Europe, we should be
sending a clear sign that we stand with our NATO allies, allies who
have stood by us for decades. We are talking about infrastructure for
our troops who are over there, as well as our allies' troops.
We all know that warming global temperatures are having a devastating
impact on our military installations, including sea level rise,
recurrent flooding, hurricanes, and extreme weather, as well as extreme
heat and drought, yet this bill includes zero dedicated funding to
mitigate this extreme weather damage to our installations and force
readiness.
We have seen time and again what devastating extreme weather can do
to installations. In 2018, Hurricane Michael mauled Tyndall Air Force
Base in Florida, my home State, and cost the Air Force $4.9 billion to
rebuild. When Typhoon Mawar ran through Guam and devastated the island,
this Congress provided almost $1.8 billion to begin recovering from the
damage. Unfortunately, we know that future need from Typhoon Mawar will
cost many billions more.

[[Page H2938]]

Finally, this bill includes a plethora of harmful poison pill riders.
It once again prohibits the VA from implementing its interim final rule
to protect a woman's right to abortion and counseling. The message sent
on that is clear: Republicans want to further limit women's access to
healthcare.
Never mind if an abortion is in the best medical interest for the
veteran, between her and her doctor. Disturbingly, Republicans think
you should only have access to abortion if you are dying.
This bill has the government making personal medical decisions for
veterans, not their doctor or the veteran themselves. It is a cruel and
ironic way to treat those who fight for our freedoms by taking them
away.
This bill also undermines VA's ability to keep at-risk veterans safe
by preventing VA from reporting a beneficiary to the National Instant
Criminal Background Check System. This rider prohibits VA from
following Federal law to keep guns out of the hands of people who
Federal law says should not have them because they are a danger to
themselves or others.
My subcommittee receives notifications every time there is a suicide
on VA property. Over the last year, Mr. Chairman, we received suicide
notices from Asheville, Los Angeles, McAllen, Minneapolis, Las Vegas,
south Texas, Puget Sound, and many, many more. Every single veteran
committed suicide with a firearm. Every single one.
With all of these serious concerns, I cannot in good conscience
support this bill. I urge my colleagues to oppose it, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. ALFORD. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Today is the first of 12 essential steps that the House
Appropriations Committee will take to restore strong, responsible
governance under the golden age of the Trump administration.
Just this past weekend, Missouri's own 509th Bomb Wing and the 131st
Guard Wing of Whiteman Air Force Base in my district demonstrated the
vital role that our B-2 long-range strike force plays in preserving
national and international security.
Drone warfare between Ukraine and Russia has shown just how
vulnerable strategic assets can be. This bill emphasizes the importance
of modernizing and hardening our infrastructure for the world's most
advanced air wings, such as the B-21 Raider.
Our greatest asset, though, is not our aircraft. I think the ranking
member would agree, it is our people. This bill makes bold strides to
improve the quality of life for our servicemembers and their families.
It expands childcare options. It enhances access to tutoring for
children of fallen and disabled veterans, and it supports the daily
needs of the men and women who wear the uniform.
Access to a VA facility is not a reality for some of our rural
veterans. I hear this each and every day out in my district, 24
counties southeast of Kansas City. This bill, though, ensures that they
are not forgotten. We increased access opportunities by increasing the
funds available for community care.
In a powerful act of bipartisanship, we are strengthening the
Veterans Crisis Line. When a veteran calls, someone must answer.
Increased staffing and resources will help ensure that support is there
each and every time.
Mr. Chair, our veterans fought for us. It is time that we fight for
them. This bill does that, and I urge my colleagues to vote for this
bill, a vote to support our veterans. I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
I would certainly agree with the gentleman from Missouri if the Trump
administration under Elon Musk's DOGE effort hadn't actually fired
employees and interrupted the ability of employees of the Veterans
Crisis Line from actually doing their job.
We have no idea how many people lost their lives as a result of that
interruption in service. I would love to agree with the gentleman, but
unfortunately, the facts on the ground actually reflect that they do
not share the same commitment that we do to ensure the safety of our
servicemembers and making sure that we look out for them.
Mr. Chair, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms.
DeLauro), the distinguished ranking member of the Appropriations
Committee.
Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chair, I thank the ranking member for yielding. I
thank all of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs
Subcommittee staff on both sides of the aisle for their work, and in
particular Farouk Ophaso and Tyler Coe.
I am opposed to this bill, which will transfer billions of taxpayer
dollars to private hospitals and clinics, leading to longer wait lines,
poorer communication and coordination, a diminished quality of care for
our veterans, and higher costs for taxpayers.
This is a step toward privatization of the Veterans Administration
because if you hollow out the Veterans Administration, if you make it
impossible for people to be able to access their benefits, then they
say: Well, we can't trust the VA. Then they will move in the direction
of privatization, and that is where this administration wants to go.
This bill would worsen the quality of life for servicemembers and
their families while putting veterans' safety at risk.
While our military faces massive recruitment challenges, the bill
underfunds military construction by nearly $1 billion, hurting our
recruitment and retention and undermining our military readiness. By
making it harder to keep guns out of the hands of those legally barred
from holding them, this bill endangers veterans' safety.
The bill leaves military installations, servicemembers, and their
families vulnerable to climate change and worsening natural disasters
by failing to include dedicated funding to strengthen our military
installations against these threats or to help them recover from past
disasters.
Defense leaders, including during President Trump's first term, have
warned of the danger that climate change poses to our military, and the
tens of billions of dollars in damage to military installations from
recent severe weather reinforces their point. Former Secretary James
Mattis warned that climate change threatened American interests and our
defense assets around the world and said climate change is ``a
challenge that requires a broader whole-of-government response.''
This bill attacks women veterans, who are the fastest growing group
served by the Department of Veterans Affairs, with a policy rider that
limits abortion access and prohibits abortion counseling. The women who
volunteer to serve and defend our Nation, to protect Americans' sacred
rights and freedoms, should not come home to find their medical care
and family planning decisions being made by anyone other than
themselves, their families, and their doctors.
These riders do nothing but put us on a path of partisan division
that will make it more difficult to come to an agreement on full-year
bills that can actually become law. Ending fiscal year 2025 with an
unprecedented full-year continuing resolution was a missed opportunity
to invest in our veterans and in our servicemembers. We should be
working toward a bipartisan bill that can actually pass this year.
Finally, the bill undercuts our commitments to our military partners.
The Trump administration has already done a masterful job at alienating
America on the world stage, turning our back on our closest allies.
This bill goes even further. It underfunds NATO, the infrastructure, by
almost $200 million. It undermines the infrastructure projects of our
own troops in Europe that they are relying on. Our credibility as a
national security partner has been trashed by this administration, and
now is not the time to retreat from our alliances even further.
The majority may suggest they are supporting veterans' needs with
this bill alone, but we all know that it does not contain all the
programs the most vulnerable of veterans depend on.
Programs and services from food assistance to education to health
research, which this administration has illegally frozen and
dismantled, and which their budget decimates funding for, support
veterans around the country. Losing that support means abandoning our
responsibilities and our promises to our Nation's veterans.
While I am glad that the Democrats on the Appropriations Committee
were

[[Page H2939]]

successful in shaming our colleagues across the aisle into amending
their original bill to include advance funding for the PACT Act, this
bill still fails too many veterans in too many ways, so I cannot
support it, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

{time} 1230

The CHAIR. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter) will now control the
time for the majority.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman
from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole), the chairman of the Appropriations Committee.
Mr. COLE. Mr. Chair, I thank my good friend, Judge Carter, for
yielding me time.
Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of this important piece of
legislation. Prioritizing veterans and troops says everything about our
values, and that is exactly what this first fiscal year 2026
appropriations bill does.
The Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 2026, is a testament to caring for those who have
selflessly worn America's uniform, their families, and the defenders
who follow their path of service. We meet this mission not only in
words of gratitude but in policies that support them.
This legislation provides full funding for healthcare and benefits
for our Nation's veterans and implements an advance for the Cost of War
Toxic Exposures Fund. This marks enhanced investment under President
Trump, which is also reflected in critical mental health initiatives
and work to fight homelessness.
It devotes funding to improve quality of life, including childcare
and housing resources for military families who help carry the weight
of their loved one's service.
It reaffirms our commitment to peace through strength by providing
for military base infrastructure and key deterrence efforts in the
Indo-Pacific.
It also honors our heroes, ensuring the preservation of national
military cemeteries and memorials.
With this legislation, our obligations to our Armed Forces, past and
present, and our security are upheld. A vote ``yes'' is a vote to put
our veterans, military families, base readiness, and America first.
I thank Chairman Carter for his hard work on this measure, and I urge
all of my colleagues to join me in supporting it on final passage.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop), my dear friend who is the
distinguished ranking member of the Agriculture, Rural Development,
Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.
Mr. BISHOP. Mr. Chair, I rise today to express my continued and
resolute opposition to the fiscal year 2026 Military Construction,
Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act in its
current form.
I represent a district that is home to Robins Air Force Base, Fort
Benning, and Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany. These installations
are more than just military sites. They are the backbone of communities
where servicemembers live, raise families, and eventually retire to
continue serving in civilian life.
Because of this, I have a deep and personal understanding of the
needs of our servicemembers, veterans, and their families. I can say
unequivocally that this bill fails them.
Our veterans deserve better. Our military families deserve better.
Frankly, all of us deserve a bill that reflects our shared commitment
to the men and women who wear and have worn the uniform.
National defense is not just about weapons and strategy. It is about
people, and this bill, as currently written, does not prioritize the
needs of our people. Instead, it is laced with ideological provisions
drawn from Project 2025, prioritizing political ambition over the well-
being of those who have dedicated their lives to serving this country.
Let me be clear. Healthcare for veterans should not be an ideological
battlefield. Yet, this bill accelerates the shift to privatized care at
a time when we should be investing in the VA system itself.
Veterans overwhelmingly want to be treated in VA hospitals and
clinics, facilities tailored to their unique needs and staffed by
professionals who understand the physical, emotional, and psychological
cost of service. Instead of fortifying these institutions, the bill
undermines them.
Community care is an important tool, but it must remain just that, a
supplement, not a substitute. Veterans should be referred to community
care only when the VA cannot meet their needs, not as part of a
systematic effort to privatize the entire system.
Occam's razor reminds us that the simplest explanation is often the
correct one. Here, the simplest explanation for this unprecedented
increase in outsourced care is a broader goal to dismantle the VA
system itself, aligning with Project 2025's dangerous objective to
privatize veterans' healthcare. The consequences of this cannot be
overstated.
Equally troubling is the underfunding of military construction,
particularly housing and childcare. These are not luxuries. They are
necessities. A stable home and quality childcare are foundational to
military readiness. When we fail to provide for the families of our
servicemembers, we degrade morale, retention, and focus.
We cannot expect excellence from our Armed Forces if we do not
support the very people who make excellence possible.
This bill does not build trust. It erodes it. Trust in our
government, our institutions, and our promises is what holds the fabric
of this Nation together.
This legislation should be a reflection of our values. It should
speak to our priorities. It should say to every servicemember, veteran,
and military family: We see you. We value you. We will not let you
down.
Instead, it cuts where we should invest. It deregulates where we need
oversight. Perhaps most egregiously, it sows division where we
desperately need unity.
This is not a partisan issue. It is an American issue. We must rise
above ideology to meet this moment with courage and clarity.
I urge every one of my colleagues, especially those who may view this
bill as just another line item, to pause and consider the real impact
these decisions have on the people we are sworn to serve. Let their
needs, not political blueprints, be our North Star today. We must do
better.

Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman
from California (Mr. Calvert), the chairman of the Defense
Appropriations Subcommittee.
Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding
me time.
Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the fiscal year 2026 Military
Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations
Act. It is fitting that the appropriations bill to come to the House
floor this year is one that fulfills our highest priorities, honoring
our commitments to those who have served and are currently serving in
the United States military.
This bill delivers on our promises by fully funding veterans'
healthcare programs and fully funding veterans' benefits and VA
programs.
This bill addresses critical infrastructure needs for our men and
women in uniform. To address deficiencies in military barracks
identified by GAO and others, the bill includes a $75 million increase.
There is also a $75 million increase for child development centers on
military bases to improve the quality of life of many military
families.
In closing, I thank my colleague Judge Carter for crafting a bill
that keeps our promises to the veterans and our troops.
Mr. Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to support this important
bill.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Escobar), a new member of the
Appropriations Committee.
Ms. ESCOBAR. Mr. Chairman, I would like to first express my
gratitude. I am excited to be on the Appropriations Committee and to
serve with wonderful colleagues on both sides of the aisle.
Mr. Chairman, I have been so alarmed by the attacks on hardworking
Americans by the Trump administration. We are seeing, through

[[Page H2940]]

the Republican reconciliation bill, a historic transfer of wealth from
the have-nots to the haves.
It has been equally alarming to see that our veterans have not been
exempt from what we are all concerned about. In fact, if we look at the
mass firings that occurred, as directed by Elon Musk and his DOGE
effort, one-third of our Federal workforce is made up of veterans. They
have been at risk with those firings.
We know also that there are additional firings that are coming. There
are 80,000 VA employees slated to be fired. The cuts to healthcare in
the reconciliation bill will impact veterans' families, which is why I
was hoping we could mitigate much of that through this bill.
Unfortunately, we have not, which is why I cannot support the bill.
In fact, Project 2025, which we discussed at length last year, one of
the tenets of it calls for privatizing the VA. This bill lays the
foundation for that. We know that our veterans demand, expect, and
deserve the best, highest quality healthcare, and that is why we must
do more through this bill and not privatize.
There are other components of the bill that are equally alarming. I
hope we can continue to work better on both sides of the aisle to
improve care for our veterans. This bill doesn't get us there.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Mrvan), a member of the Appropriations
Committee. He just joined us, and I am happy to have him.
Mr. MRVAN. Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member for yielding me
time.
Mr. Chairman, as an elected official, one of the greatest honors of
my career has been standing shoulder to shoulder with veterans of
northwest Indiana. I have worked tirelessly to ensure they receive the
world-class care and benefits they have bravely earned in service to
our Nation.
Indiana's First Congressional District is home to nearly 40,000
veterans. Every single day, I fight to ensure that the Department of
Veterans Affairs fulfills its sacred promise to those who wore the
uniform. That means making sure the VA has the staffing, resources, and
funding necessary to deliver the high-quality care that our heroes
deserve.
It is with deep regret and strong conviction that I oppose this
proposal because it fails our veterans. It fails to meet the
obligations we owe those who answered the call of duty.
In particular, I have heard the voices of veterans and their families
in northwest Indiana, voices filled with concern and fear. They are
worried that the cuts to VA staffing will strip away access to critical
care and essential services. We cannot and must not allow that
to happen.

Our Nation made a promise. We must honor it with action and not empty
words.
I have also heard from veterans who have continued their mission of
service by joining the Federal workforce only now to face uncertainty
about their futures. These patriots, who once defended our freedoms,
now work to uphold the very institutions they once served in uniform.
Nearly 30 percent of the Federal workforce is made up of veterans.
Cutting staff just doesn't jeopardize care. It threatens the jobs and
livelihoods of those who have already sacrificed so much for this
country.
I stand ready for the debate ahead. Let's be clear: These cuts are
coming at exactly the wrong time. Instead of reducing services, we
should be expanding them in the wake of the Honoring our PACT Act.
Veterans exposed to toxic substances deserve swift justice. Right
now, the average time for processing a claim is 165 days. Over 2.3
million claims have been submitted, and more than 6,000 of those
veterans are right in my district, Indiana's First Congressional
District. That number represents hope and progress.
I have to ensure and uphold a duty to the brave men and women who
have served.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from California (Mr. Takano), the distinguished ranking
member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee and a champion of our
Nation's veterans.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member for yielding me
time.
Mr. Chair, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 3944, the fiscal year
2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act. Unfortunately, I must ask my colleagues to oppose
this fundamentally flawed legislation as well. This is not a position I
take lightly, and I lament that we have gotten to this point.
As ranking member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I have
a sacred duty to care for our Nation's veterans, regardless of their
race, religion, creed, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or
politics. To fulfill this solemn promise, I am committed to doing all
we can to ensure that we have a well-functioning Department of Veterans
Affairs.
We must also ensure the VA has adequate funding to do the job we ask
it to do. As such, any time veterans legislation is on the floor, I ask
two main questions. One is: Does this bill improve access and delivery
of care and benefits for veterans, their dependents, and their
survivors? Two is: Does it provide appropriate resources to VA to get
the job done?
Unfortunately, despite its price tag, this bill fails on both
accounts.

{time} 1245

Mr. Chair, at best, I could say this bill is premature. VA has not
yet seen fit to provide Congress with full and complete justification
for its budget request. We have no clear idea how VA intends to spend
the money we would be appropriating through the Department.
At worst, I would say the Republican majority has rushed forward with
a bill that is completely divorced from our current reality, one in
which VA Secretary Collins is planning to callously fire 80,000 VA
employees without regard to the impact on delivery of healthcare and
other services.
My Republican colleagues have thoughtlessly rubberstamped a budget
proposal that accelerates privatization of veterans' healthcare;
threatens progress on ending veteran homelessness; erodes access to
disability benefits; guts VA IT modernization, unless someone happens
to be one of the President's tech friends; and needlessly drags VA into
MAGA Republicans' culture war.
This bill contains numerous dangerous policy riders that hinder VA's
ability to serve all veterans. Especially harmful are provisions that
deny women veterans the full range of necessary medical care, including
necessary reproductive healthcare which includes abortion care and
counseling.
On top of that, this bill abandons the premise that all veterans
deserve the same level of care they have earned, by cruelly and
heartlessly subjecting LGBTQ+ veterans to the bigotry that
characterizes this administration. The unpatriotic attack against
transgender servicemembers continues in this bill as an unsparing
attack against transgender veterans.
The CHAIR. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 30 seconds to
the gentleman from California.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chair, if that wasn't bad enough, this bill continues
the harmful Kennedy amendment rider. This shortsighted, dangerous
provision prevents VA from protecting beneficiaries and those around
them from potential harm, beneficiaries with debilitating mental
illnesses such as schizophrenia, Alzheimer's, dementia, and bipolar
disorder.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote against this appropriations
bill.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman
from North Carolina (Mr. Murphy).
Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Chair, today I rise in grateful support of H.R. 3944,
the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2026.
As a proud Representative of over 76,000 veterans, as well as Camp
Lejeune and Military Corps Air Stations Cherry Point and New River, it
is my honor to advocate for Federal funding on their behalf.
I proudly support FY 2026 appropriations to increase the VA's budget
by 10

[[Page H2941]]

percent to ensure that our servicemembers and veterans receive the
resources that they need and, more importantly, that they deserve.
North Carolina is proud to be called home by hundreds of thousands of
Active-Duty members of our military and those retired from our Armed
Services. I am grateful the Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act
was included in this package, as well as supporting language for the F-
35 sustainment center and utilities upgrade for future F-35 squadrons.
I wholeheartedly support this legislation.
We live in a dangerous world now. We had an administration before
that wanted to make things about social justice in our military.
Military is about defending the rights and freedoms of this country. I
am proud that this administration and this Congress are going to
support the military in keeping us safe and free.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman
from Florida (Mr. Frost), my colleague and friend.
Mr. FROST. Mr. Chair, the theme for congressional Republicans in
Congress is putting corporations over people. That is exactly what they
are doing in this bill.
Instead of focusing on supporting our veterans, they have added one
of the most reckless giveaways to the gun lobby that we have ever seen,
gutting the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, the very
system that keeps guns out of the hands of abusers, felons, and people
who might be a danger to themselves and others.
Republicans want to ensure that even if the VA determines that a
veteran has a mental health condition to the point where they can't
cash their own check, the check has to be given to a family member
because they are going through a crisis, congressional Republicans want
that person to be able to go to a gun store and buy a weapon.
Most veteran suicides involve firearms. This will deeply worsen the
veteran suicide crisis. This does not protect veterans' rights. This
protects the gun lobby's profits over the lives of our veterans.
If my colleagues vote for this, they are voting for veterans to die.
Mr. Chair, don't let them tell you this bill is about liberty and
freedom.
The CHAIR. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 30 seconds to
the gentleman from Florida.
Mr. FROST. Mr. Chair, there is no liberty in a coffin, and there is
no freedom in a funeral. Veterans will die if this passes, and anyone
who votes for it should be ashamed of themselves.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, I yield myself the balance of my
time.
Mr. Chair, I want to add some further information because the
Veterans Crisis Line was referenced by the gentleman from Missouri.
I want to make it very clear that the Secretary of the VA actually
did a YouTube video specifically denying firing anyone from the
Veterans Crisis Line when, in reality, he fired 24 people who worked on
the Veterans Crisis Line.

If there was any improvement to the Veterans Crisis Line in this
bill, it is thanks to my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee,
the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Dean), who was successful in
passing an amendment that added $5 million to funding for the Veterans
Crisis Line, and the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Underwood), who
actually added an amendment that prohibits any further cuts from the
Veterans Crisis Line.
We are certainly appreciative of the bipartisan support for that.
However, I want to make it clear that we need to remain united in
fighting cuts to the Veterans Crisis Line and ensure that veterans have
everything they need and a safety net firmly in place.
With all the issues raised during this debate, Mr. Chair, from the
blatant push toward privatization of VA medical care to the
underfunding of infrastructure and climate resiliency projects and the
harmful poison pill riders, I just cannot in good conscience support
this bill.
It breaks my heart because we do have such a good working
relationship across the aisle with Chairman Carter and myself. I look
forward to working together to improve this bill. I know it is possible
as we move forward, and I am hopeful. I urge my colleagues at this
point to vote against it.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chair, I yield myself the balance of my
time.
Mr. Chair, I acknowledge and ask my colleagues to support the fiscal
year 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act.
This legislation provides critical funding for military bases,
provides housing for our troops and their families, and makes other
investments aimed at improving the quality of life of our
servicemembers. It ensures that our national defense needs are met both
at home and abroad.
We also uphold our pledge to our veterans. This bill fully funds
healthcare and benefits for those who have valiantly served. Again, I
ask my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIR. All time for general debate has expired.
Pursuant to the rule, the bill shall be considered for amendment
under the 5-minute rule.
An amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of
Rules Committee print 119-5 shall be considered as adopted and the
bill, as amended, shall be considered as an original bill for the
purpose of further amendment under the 5-minute rule and shall be
considered as read.
The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows:

H.R. 3944

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, 2026, for military construction, the
Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies, and for
other purposes, namely:

TITLE I

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Military Construction, Army

For acquisition, construction, installation, and equipment
of temporary or permanent public works, military
installations, facilities, and real property for the Army as
currently authorized by law, including personnel in the Army
Corps of Engineers and other personal services necessary for
the purposes of this appropriation, and for construction and
operation of facilities in support of the functions of the
Commander in Chief, $2,103,657,000, to remain available until
September 30, 2030: Provided, That, of this amount, not to
exceed $321,838,000 shall be available for study, planning,
design, architect and engineer services, and host nation
support, as authorized by law, unless the Secretary of the
Army determines that additional obligations are necessary for
such purposes and notifies the Committees on Appropriations
of both Houses of Congress of the determination and the
reasons therefor: Provided further, That of the amount made
available under this heading, $77,300,000 shall be for the
projects and activities, and in the amounts, specified in the
table under the heading ``Military Construction, Army'' in
the report accompanying this Act, in addition to amounts
otherwise available for such purposes.

Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps

For acquisition, construction, installation, and equipment
of temporary or permanent public works, naval installations,
facilities, and real property for the Navy and Marine Corps
as currently authorized by law, including personnel in the
Naval Facilities Engineering Command and other personal
services necessary for the purposes of this appropriation,
$4,104,499,000, to remain available until September 30, 2030:
Provided, That, of this amount, not to exceed $526,821,000
shall be available for study, planning, design, and architect
and engineer services, as authorized by law, unless the
Secretary of the Navy determines that additional obligations
are necessary for such purposes and notifies the Committees
on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of the
determination and the reasons therefor: Provided further,
That of the amount made available under this heading,
$155,100,000 shall be for the projects and activities, and in
the amounts, specified in the table under the heading
``Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps'' in the
report accompanying this Act, in addition to amounts
otherwise available for such purposes.

Military Construction, Air Force

For acquisition, construction, installation, and equipment
of temporary or permanent public works, military
installations, facilities, and real property for the Air
Force as currently authorized by law, $3,169,526,000, to
remain available until September 30, 2030: Provided, That,
of this amount, not to exceed $460,886,000 shall be available
for study, planning, design, and architect and engineer
services, as authorized by law, unless the Secretary of the
Air Force determines that additional obligations are
necessary for such purposes and notifies the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of

[[Page H2942]]

the determination and the reasons therefor: Provided
further, That of the amount made available under this
heading, $32,400,000 shall be for the projects and
activities, and in the amounts, specified in the table under
the heading ``Military Construction, Air Force'' in the
report accompanying this Act, in addition to amounts
otherwise available for such purposes.

Military Construction, Defense-Wide

(including transfer of funds)

For acquisition, construction, installation, and equipment
of temporary or permanent public works, installations,
facilities, and real property for activities and agencies of
the Department of Defense (other than the military
departments), as currently authorized by law, $3,963,383,000,
to remain available until September 30, 2030: Provided, That
such amounts of this appropriation as may be determined by
the Secretary of Defense may be transferred to such
appropriations of the Department of Defense available for
military construction or family housing as the Secretary may
designate, to be merged with and to be available for the same
purposes, and for the same time period, as the appropriation
or fund to which transferred: Provided further, That, of the
amount, not to exceed $822,998,000 shall be available for
study, planning, design, and architect and engineer services,
as authorized by law, unless the Secretary of Defense
determines that additional obligations are necessary for such
purposes and notifies the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress of the determination and the reasons
therefor: Provided further, That of the amount made
available under this heading, $82,000,000 shall be for the
projects and activities, and in the amounts, specified in the
table under the heading ``Military Construction, Defense-
Wide'' in the report accompanying this Act, in addition to
amounts otherwise available for such purposes.

Military Construction, Army National Guard

For construction, acquisition, expansion, rehabilitation,
and conversion of facilities for the training and
administration of the Army National Guard, and contributions
therefor, as authorized by chapter 1803 of title 10, United
States Code, and Military Construction Authorization Acts,
$358,489,000, to remain available until September 30, 2030:
Provided, That, of the amount, not to exceed $47,439,000
shall be available for study, planning, design, and architect
and engineer services, as authorized by law, unless the
Director of the Army National Guard determines that
additional obligations are necessary for such purposes and
notifies the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress of the determination and the reasons therefor.

Military Construction, Air National Guard

For construction, acquisition, expansion, rehabilitation,
and conversion of facilities for the training and
administration of the Air National Guard, and contributions
therefor, as authorized by chapter 1803 of title 10, United
States Code, and Military Construction Authorization Acts,
$210,492,000, to remain available until September 30, 2030:
Provided, That, of the amount, not to exceed $36,092,000
shall be available for study, planning, design, and architect
and engineer services, as authorized by law, unless the
Director of the Air National Guard determines that additional
obligations are necessary for such purposes and notifies the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of
the determination and the reasons therefor.

Military Construction, Army Reserve

For construction, acquisition, expansion, rehabilitation,
and conversion of facilities for the training and
administration of the Army Reserve as authorized by chapter
1803 of title 10, United States Code, and Military
Construction Authorization Acts, $305,032,000, to remain
available until September 30, 2030: Provided, That, of the
amount, not to exceed $31,508,000 shall be available for
study, planning, design, and architect and engineer services,
as authorized by law, unless the Chief of the Army Reserve
determines that additional obligations are necessary for such
purposes and notifies the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress of the determination and the reasons
therefor: Provided further, That of the amount made
available under this heading, $50,000,000 shall be for the
projects and activities, and in the amounts, specified in the
table under the heading ``Military Construction, Army
Reserve'' in the report accompanying this Act, in addition to
amounts otherwise available for such purposes.

Military Construction, Navy Reserve

For construction, acquisition, expansion, rehabilitation,
and conversion of facilities for the training and
administration of the reserve components of the Navy and
Marine Corps as authorized by chapter 1803 of title 10,
United States Code, and Military Construction Authorization
Acts, $79,829,000, to remain available until September 30,
2030: Provided, That, of the amount, not to exceed
$3,219,000 shall be available for study, planning, design,
and architect and engineer services, as authorized by law,
unless the Secretary of the Navy determines that additional
obligations are necessary for such purposes and notifies the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of
the determination and the reasons therefor: Provided
further, That, of the amount made available under this
heading, $50,000,000 shall be for the projects and
activities, and in the amounts, specified in the table under
the heading ``Military Construction, Navy Reserve'' in the
report accompanying this Act, in addition to amounts
otherwise available for such purposes.

Military Construction, Air Force Reserve

For construction, acquisition, expansion, rehabilitation,
and conversion of facilities for the training and
administration of the Air Force Reserve as authorized by
chapter 1803 of title 10, United States Code, and Military
Construction Authorization Acts, $37,863,000, to remain
available until September 30, 2030: Provided, That, of the
amount, not to exceed $20,162,000 shall be available for
study, planning, design, and architect and engineer services,
as authorized by law, unless the Chief of the Air Force
Reserve determines that additional obligations are necessary
for such purposes and notifies the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of the
determination and the reasons therefor: Provided further,
That of the amount made available under this heading,
$3,200,000 shall be for the projects and activities, and in
the amounts, specified in the table under the heading
``Military Construction, Air Force Reserve'' in the report
accompanying this Act, in addition to amounts otherwise made
available for such purposes.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Security Investment Program

For the United States share of the cost of the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization Security Investment Program for
the acquisition and construction of military facilities and
installations (including international military headquarters)
and for related expenses for the collective defense of the
North Atlantic Treaty Area as authorized by section 2806 of
title 10, United States Code, and Military Construction
Authorization Acts, $293,434,000, to remain available until
expended.

Department of Defense Base Closure Account

For deposit into the Department of Defense Base Closure
Account, established by section 2906(a) of the Defense Base
Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 (10 U.S.C. 2687 note),
$489,174,000, to remain available until expended.

Family Housing Construction, Army

For expenses of family housing for the Army for
construction, including acquisition, replacement, addition,
expansion, extension, and alteration, as authorized by law,
$276,647,000, to remain available until September 30, 2030.

Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Army

For expenses of family housing for the Army for operation
and maintenance, including debt payment, leasing, minor
construction, principal and interest charges, and insurance
premiums, as authorized by law, $495,369,000.

Family Housing Construction, Navy and Marine Corps

For expenses of family housing for the Navy and Marine
Corps for construction, including acquisition, replacement,
addition, expansion, extension, and alteration, as authorized
by law, $245,742,000, to remain available until September 30,
2030.

Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Navy and Marine Corps

For expenses of family housing for the Navy and Marine
Corps for operation and maintenance, including debt payment,
leasing, minor construction, principal and interest charges,
and insurance premiums, as authorized by law, $397,217,000.

Family Housing Construction, Air Force

For expenses of family housing for the Air Force for
construction, including acquisition, replacement, addition,
expansion, extension, and alteration, as authorized by law,
$221,549,000, to remain available until September 30, 2030.

Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Air Force

For expenses of family housing for the Air Force for
operation and maintenance, including debt payment, leasing,
minor construction, principal and interest charges, and
insurance premiums, as authorized by law, $346,250,000.

Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide

For expenses of family housing for the activities and
agencies of the Department of Defense (other than the
military departments) for operation and maintenance, leasing,
and minor construction, as authorized by law, $52,156,000.

Department of Defense

Family Housing Improvement Fund

For the Department of Defense Family Housing Improvement
Fund, $8,195,000, to remain available until expended, for
family housing initiatives undertaken pursuant to section
2883 of title 10, United States Code, providing alternative
means of acquiring and improving military family housing and
supporting facilities.

Department of Defense

Military Unaccompanied Housing Improvement Fund

For the Department of Defense Military Unaccompanied
Housing Improvement Fund, $497,000, to remain available until
expended, for unaccompanied housing initiatives undertaken
pursuant to section 2883 of title 10, United States Code,
providing alternative means of acquiring and improving
military unaccompanied housing and supporting facilities.

Administrative Provisions

Sec. 101. None of the funds made available in this title
shall be expended for payments under a cost-plus-a-fixed-fee
contract for construction, where cost estimates exceed
$25,000, to be performed within the United States, except
Alaska, without the specific approval in writing of the
Secretary of Defense setting forth the reasons therefor.
Sec. 102. Funds made available in this title for
construction shall be available for hire of passenger motor
vehicles.

[[Page H2943]]

Sec. 103. Funds made available in this title for
construction may be used for advances to the Federal Highway
Administration, Department of Transportation, for the
construction of access roads as authorized by section 210 of
title 23, United States Code, when projects authorized
therein are certified as important to the national defense by
the Secretary of Defense.
Sec. 104. None of the funds made available in this title
may be used to begin construction of new bases in the United
States for which specific appropriations have not been made.
Sec. 105. None of the funds made available in this title
shall be used for purchase of land or land easements in
excess of 100 percent of the value as determined by the Army
Corps of Engineers or the Naval Facilities Engineering
Command, except: (1) where there is a determination of value
by a Federal court; (2) purchases negotiated by the Attorney
General or the designee of the Attorney General; (3) where
the estimated value is less than $25,000; or (4) as otherwise
determined by the Secretary of Defense to be in the public
interest.
Sec. 106. None of the funds made available in this title
shall be used to: (1) acquire land; (2) provide for site
preparation; or (3) install utilities for any family housing,
except housing for which funds have been made available in
annual Acts making appropriations for military construction.
Sec. 107. None of the funds made available in this title
for minor construction may be used to transfer or relocate
any activity from one base or installation to another,
without prior notification to the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
Sec. 108. None of the funds made available in this title
may be used for the procurement of steel for any construction
project or activity for which American steel producers,
fabricators, and manufacturers have been denied the
opportunity to compete for such steel procurement.
Sec. 109. None of the funds available to the Department of
Defense for military construction or family housing during
the current fiscal year may be used to pay real property
taxes in any foreign nation.
Sec. 110. None of the funds made available in this title
may be used to initiate a new installation overseas without
prior notification to the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress.
Sec. 111. None of the funds made available in this title
may be obligated for architect and engineer contracts
estimated by the Government to exceed $500,000 for projects
to be accomplished in Japan, in any North Atlantic Treaty
Organization member country, or in countries bordering the
Arabian Gulf, unless such contracts are awarded to United
States firms or United States firms in joint venture with
host nation firms.
Sec. 112. None of the funds made available in this title
for military construction in the United States territories
and possessions in the Pacific and on Kwajalein Atoll, or in
countries bordering the Arabian Gulf, may be used to award
any contract estimated by the Government to exceed $1,000,000
to a foreign contractor: Provided, That this section shall
not be applicable to contract awards for which the lowest
responsive and responsible bid of a United States contractor
exceeds the lowest responsive and responsible bid of a
foreign contractor by greater than 20 percent: Provided
further, That this section shall not apply to contract awards
for military construction on Kwajalein Atoll for which the
lowest responsive and responsible bid is submitted by a
Marshallese contractor.
Sec. 113. The Secretary of Defense shall inform the
appropriate committees of both Houses of Congress, including
the Committees on Appropriations, of plans and scope of any
proposed military exercise involving United States personnel
30 days prior to its occurring, if amounts expended for
construction, either temporary or permanent, are anticipated
to exceed $100,000.
Sec. 114. Funds appropriated to the Department of Defense
for construction in prior years shall be available for
construction authorized for each such military department by
the authorizations enacted into law during the current
session of Congress.
Sec. 115. For military construction or family housing
projects that are being completed with funds otherwise
expired or lapsed for obligation, expired or lapsed funds may
be used to pay the cost of associated supervision,
inspection, overhead, engineering and design on those
projects and on subsequent claims, if any.
Sec. 116. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any
funds made available to a military department or defense
agency for the construction of military projects may be
obligated for a military construction project or contract, or
for any portion of such a project or contract, at any time
before the end of the fourth fiscal year after the fiscal
year for which funds for such project were made available, if
the funds obligated for such project: (1) are obligated from
funds available for military construction projects; and (2)
do not exceed the amount appropriated for such project, plus
any amount by which the cost of such project is increased
pursuant to law.
Sec. 117. Subject to 30 days prior notification, or 14
days for a notification provided in an electronic medium
pursuant to sections 480 and 2883 of title 10, United States
Code, to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress, such additional amounts as may be determined by the
Secretary of Defense may be transferred to: (1) the
Department of Defense Family Housing Improvement Fund from
amounts appropriated for construction in ``Family Housing''
accounts, to be merged with and to be available for the same
purposes and for the same period of time as amounts
appropriated directly to the Fund; or (2) the Department of
Defense Military Unaccompanied Housing Improvement Fund from
amounts appropriated for construction of military
unaccompanied housing in ``Military Construction'' accounts,
to be merged with and to be available for the same purposes
and for the same period of time as amounts appropriated
directly to the Fund: Provided, That appropriations made
available to the Funds shall be available to cover the costs,
as defined in section 502(5) of the Congressional Budget Act
of 1974, of direct loans or loan guarantees issued by the
Department of Defense pursuant to the provisions of
subchapter IV of chapter 169 of title 10, United States Code,
pertaining to alternative means of acquiring and improving
military family housing, military unaccompanied housing, and
supporting facilities.
Sec. 118. In addition to any other transfer authority
available to the Department of Defense, amounts may be
transferred from the Department of Defense Base Closure
Account to the fund established by section 1013(d) of the
Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act of 1966
(42 U.S.C. 3374) to pay for expenses associated with the
Homeowners Assistance Program incurred under 42 U.S.C.
3374(a)(1)(A). Any amounts transferred shall be merged with
and be available for the same purposes and for the same time
period as the fund to which transferred.
Sec. 119. Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
funds made available in this title for operation and
maintenance of family housing shall be the exclusive source
of funds for repair and maintenance of all family housing
units, including general or flag officer quarters: Provided,
That not more than $20,000 per unit may be spent annually for
the maintenance and repair of any general or flag officer
quarters without 30 days prior notification, or 14 days for a
notification provided in an electronic medium pursuant to
sections 480 and 2883 of title 10, United States Code, to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress,
except that an after-the-fact notification shall be submitted
if the limitation is exceeded solely due to costs associated
with environmental remediation that could not be reasonably
anticipated at the time of the budget submission: Provided
further, That the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) is
to report annually to the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress all operation and maintenance
expenditures for each individual general or flag officer
quarters for the prior fiscal year.
Sec. 120. Amounts contained in the Ford Island Improvement
Account established by subsection (h) of section 2814 of
title 10, United States Code, are appropriated and shall be
available until expended for the purposes specified in
subsection (i)(1) of such section or until transferred
pursuant to subsection (i)(3) of such section.
Sec. 121. During the 5-year period after appropriations
available in this Act to the Department of Defense for
military construction and family housing operation and
maintenance and construction have expired for obligation,
upon a determination that such appropriations will not be
necessary for the liquidation of obligations or for making
authorized adjustments to such appropriations for obligations
incurred during the period of availability of such
appropriations, unobligated balances of such appropriations
may be transferred into the appropriation ``Foreign Currency
Fluctuations, Construction, Defense'', to be merged with and
to be available for the same time period and for the same
purposes as the appropriation to which transferred.
Sec. 122. Amounts appropriated or otherwise made available
in an account funded under the headings in this title may be
transferred among projects and activities within the account
in accordance with the reprogramming guidelines for military
construction and family housing construction contained in
Department of Defense Financial Management Regulation
7000.14-R, Volume 3, Chapter 7, of April 2021, as in effect
on the date of enactment of this Act.
Sec. 123. None of the funds made available in this title
may be obligated or expended for planning and design and
construction of projects at Arlington National Cemetery.
Sec. 124. For an additional amount for the accounts and in
the amounts specified, to remain available until September
30, 2030:
``Military Construction, Army'', $100,000,000;
``Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps'',
$100,000,000;
``Military Construction, Air Force'', $100,000,000;
``Military Construction, Army National Guard'',
$40,000,000;
``Military Construction, Air National Guard'', $80,000,000;
``Military Construction, Army Reserve'', $40,000,000;
``Military Construction, Air Force Reserve'', $40,000,000;
and
Provided, That such funds may only be obligated to carry
out construction and cost to complete projects identified in
the respective military department's unfunded priority list
for fiscal year 2025 or fiscal year 2026 submitted to
Congress: Provided further, That such projects are subject
to authorization prior to obligation and expenditure of funds
to carry out construction: Provided further, That not later
than 60 days after enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
the military department concerned, or their designee, shall
submit to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress an expenditure plan for funds provided under this
section.
Sec. 125. All amounts appropriated to the ``Department of
Defense--Military Construction, Army'', ``Department of
Defense--Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps'',
``Department of Defense--Military Construction, Air Force'',
and ``Department of Defense--Military Construction, Defense-
Wide'' accounts pursuant to the authorization of
appropriations in a National Defense Authorization Act
specified for fiscal year 2026 in the funding table in
section

[[Page H2944]]

4601 of that Act shall be immediately available and allotted
to contract for the full scope of authorized projects.
Sec. 126. Notwithstanding section 116 of this Act, funds
made available in this Act or any available unobligated
balances from prior appropriations Acts may be obligated
before October 1, 2027, for fiscal year 2017, 2018, 2019, and
2020 military construction projects for which project
authorization has not lapsed or for which authorization is
extended for fiscal year 2026 by a National Defense
Authorization Act: Provided, That no amounts may be
obligated pursuant to this section from amounts that were
designated by the Congress as an emergency requirement
pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget or the
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.
Sec. 127. For the purposes of this Act, the term
``congressional defense committees'' means the Committees on
Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the
Senate, the Subcommittee on Military Construction and
Veterans Affairs of the Committee on Appropriations of the
Senate, and the Subcommittee on Military Construction and
Veterans Affairs of the Committee on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives.
Sec. 128. For an additional amount for the accounts and in
the amounts specified for planning and design and for
construction improvements to Department of Defense laboratory
facilities, to remain available until September 30, 2030:
``Military Construction, Army''$35,000,000;
``Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps'',
$35,000,000; and
``Military Construction, Air Force'', $35,000,000:
Provided, That not later than 60 days after enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of the military department concerned,
or their designee, shall submit to the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress an expenditure plan
for funds provided under this section: Provided further,
That the Secretary of the military department concerned may
not obligate or expend any funds prior to approval by the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of
the expenditure plan required by this section.
Sec. 129. For an additional amount for the accounts and in
the amounts specified for planning and design, for child
development centers, to remain available until September 30,
2030:
``Military Construction, Army'', $25,000,000;
``Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps'',
$25,000,000; and
``Military Construction, Air Force'', $25,000,000:
Provided, That not later than 60 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the military
department concerned, or their designee, shall submit to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress an
expenditure plan for funds provided under this section.
Sec. 130. For an additional amount for the accounts and
amounts specified for planning and design, for barracks, to
remain available until September 30, 2030:
``Military Construction, Army'', $25,000,000;
``Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps'',
$25,000,000; and
``Military Construction, Air Force'', $25,000,000:
Provided, That not later than 60 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the military
department concerned, or their designee, shall submit to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress an
expenditure plan for funds provided under this section.
Sec. 131. For an additional amount for the accounts and in
the amounts specified for unspecified minor construction for
demolition, to remain available until September 30, 2029:
``Military Construction, Army'', $25,000,000;
``Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps'',
$25,000,000;
``Military Construction, Air Force'', $25,000,000;
Provided, That not later than 60 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the military
department concerned, or their designee, shall submit to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress an
expenditure plan for funds provided under this section:
Provided further, That the Secretary of the military
department concerned may not obligate or expend any funds
prior to approval by the Committees on Appropriations of both
Houses of Congress of the expenditure plan required by this
section.
Sec. 132. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to carry out the closure or realignment of the United
States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

TITLE II

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Veterans Benefits Administration

compensation and pensions

(including transfer of funds)

For the payment of compensation benefits to or on behalf of
veterans and a pilot program for disability examinations as
authorized by section 107 and chapters 11, 13, 18, 51, 53,
55, and 61 of title 38, United States Code; pension benefits
to or on behalf of veterans as authorized by chapters 15, 51,
53, 55, and 61 of title 38, United States Code; and burial
benefits, the Reinstated Entitlement Program for Survivors,
emergency and other officers' retirement pay, adjusted-
service credits and certificates, payment of premiums due on
commercial life insurance policies guaranteed under the
provisions of title IV of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
(50 U.S.C. App. 541 et seq.) and for other benefits as
authorized by sections 107, 1312, 1977, and 2106, and
chapters 23, 51, 53, 55, and 61 of title 38, United States
Code, $241,947,603,000 which shall become available on
October 1, 2026, to remain available until expended:
Provided, That not to exceed $29,454,647 of the amount made
available for fiscal year 2027 under this heading shall be
reimbursed to ``General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits
Administration'', and ``Information Technology Systems'' for
necessary expenses in implementing the provisions of chapters
51, 53, and 55 of title 38, United States Code, the funding
source for which is specifically provided as the
``Compensation and Pensions'' appropriation: Provided
further, That such sums as may be earned on an actual
qualifying patient basis, shall be reimbursed to ``Medical
Care Collections Fund'' to augment the funding of individual
medical facilities for nursing home care provided to
pensioners as authorized.

readjustment benefits

For the payment of readjustment and rehabilitation benefits
to or on behalf of veterans as authorized by chapters 21, 30,
31, 33, 34, 35, 36, 39, 41, 51, 53, 55, and 61 of title 38,
United States Code, $20,057,841,000, which shall become
available on October 1, 2026, to remain available until
expended: Provided, That expenses for rehabilitation program
services and assistance which the Secretary is authorized to
provide under subsection (a) of section 3104 of title 38,
United States Code, other than under paragraphs (1), (2),
(5), and (11) of that subsection, shall be charged to this
account.

veterans insurance and indemnities

For military and naval insurance, national service life
insurance, servicemen's indemnities, service-disabled
veterans insurance, and veterans mortgage life insurance as
authorized by chapters 19 and 21 of title 38, United States
Code, $97,893,000, which shall become available on October 1,
2026, to remain available until expended.

veterans housing benefit program fund

For the cost of direct and guaranteed loans, such sums as
may be necessary to carry out the program, as authorized by
subchapters I through III of chapter 37 of title 38, United
States Code: Provided, That such costs, including the cost
of modifying such loans, shall be as defined in section 502
of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974: Provided further,
That, during fiscal year 2026, within the resources
available, not to exceed $500,000 in gross obligations for
direct loans are authorized for specially adapted housing
loans.
In addition, for administrative expenses to carry out the
direct and guaranteed loan programs, $266,736,842.

vocational rehabilitation loans program account

For the cost of direct loans, $45,428, as authorized by
chapter 31 of title 38, United States Code: Provided, That
such costs, including the cost of modifying such loans, shall
be as defined in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act
of 1974: Provided further, That funds made available under
this heading are available to subsidize gross obligations for
the principal amount of direct loans not to exceed
$1,394,442.
In addition, for administrative expenses necessary to carry
out the direct loan program, $507,254, which may be paid to
the appropriation for ``General Operating Expenses, Veterans
Benefits Administration''.

native american veteran housing loan program account

For the principal amount of direct loans, $6,865,235, as
authorized by subchapter V of chapter 37 of title 38, United
States Code: Provided, That such costs, including the cost
of modifying such loans, shall be defined in section 502 of
the Congressional Budget Act of 1974: Provided further, That
funds made available under this heading are available to
subsidize gross obligations for the principal amount of the
direct loans not to exceed $75,000,000.
In addition, for administrative expenses necessary to carry
out the direct loan program, $5,007,265, which shall be paid
as appropriate to the appropriations for ``General Operating
Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration'' and ``General
Administration''.

general operating expenses, veterans benefits administration

For necessary operating expenses of the Veterans Benefits
Administration, not otherwise provided for, including hire of
passenger motor vehicles, reimbursement of the General
Services Administration for security guard services, and
reimbursement of the Department of Defense for the cost of
overseas employee mail, $3,876,425,000: Provided, That
expenses for services and assistance authorized under
paragraphs (1), (2), (5), and (11) of section 3104(a) of
title 38, United States Code, that the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs determines are necessary to enable entitled veterans:
(1) to the maximum extent feasible, to become employable and
to obtain and maintain suitable employment; or (2) to achieve
maximum independence in daily living, shall be charged to
this account: Provided further, That, of the funds made
available under this heading, not to exceed 10 percent shall
remain available until September 30, 2027.

Veterans Health Administration

medical services

For necessary expenses for furnishing, as authorized by
law, inpatient and outpatient care and treatment to
beneficiaries of the Department of Veterans Affairs and
veterans described in section 1705(a) of title 38, United
States Code, including care and treatment in facilities not
under the jurisdiction of the Department, and including
medical supplies and equipment, bioengineering services, food
services, and salaries and expenses of healthcare employees
hired under title 38, United States Code, assistance and
support services for caregivers as authorized by section
1720G of title 38, United States Code, loan repayments
authorized by section 604 of the Caregivers and Veterans
Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-163; 124
Stat. 1174; 38 U.S.C. 7681 note), monthly assistance
allowances authorized by section 322(d) of

[[Page H2945]]

title 38, United States Code, grants authorized by section
521A of title 38, United States Code, and administrative
expenses necessary to carry out sections 322(d) and 521A of
title 38, United States Code, and hospital care and medical
services authorized by section 1787 of title 38, United
States Code; $59,858,000,000, plus reimbursements, shall
become available on October 1, 2026, and shall remain
available until September 30, 2027: Provided, That of the
amount made available on October 1, 2026, under this heading,
$2,000,000,000 shall remain available until September 30,
2028: Provided further, That notwithstanding any other
provision of law, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
establish a priority for the provision of medical treatment
for veterans who have service-connected disabilities, lower
income, or have special needs: Provided further, That
notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall give priority funding for the
provision of basic medical benefits to veterans in enrollment
priority groups 1 through 6: Provided further, That
notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs may authorize the dispensing of prescription
drugs from Veterans Health Administration facilities to
enrolled veterans with privately written prescriptions based
on requirements established by the Secretary: Provided
further, That the implementation of the program described in
the previous proviso shall incur no additional cost to the
Department of Veterans Affairs: Provided further, That the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that sufficient
amounts appropriated under this heading for medical supplies
and equipment are available for the acquisition of
prosthetics designed specifically for female veterans:
Provided further,That nothing in section 2044(e)(1) of title
38, United States Code, may be construed as limiting amounts
that may be made available under this heading for fiscal
years 2026 and 2027 in this or prior Acts.

medical community care

For necessary expenses for furnishing health care to
individuals pursuant to chapter 17 of title 38, United States
Code, at non-Department facilities, $3,000,000,000 to remain
available until September 30, 2027; and in addition
$38,700,000,000, plus reimbursements, shall become available
on October 1, 2026, and shall remain available until
September 30, 2027: Provided, That, of the amount made
available on October 1, 2026, under this heading,
$2,000,000,000 shall remain available until September 30,
2028. Provided further, That of the $34,000,000,000 that
became available on October 1, 2025, previously appropriated
under this heading in the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations
Act, 2025 (division A of P.L. 119-4), $3,000,000,000 is
hereby permanently cancelled.

medical support and compliance

For necessary expenses in the administration of the
medical, hospital, nursing home, domiciliary, construction,
supply, and research activities, as authorized by law;
administrative expenses in support of capital policy
activities; and administrative and legal expenses of the
Department for collecting and recovering amounts owed the
Department as authorized under chapter 17 of title 38, United
States Code, and the Federal Medical Care Recovery Act (42
U.S.C. 2651 et seq.), $12,000,000,000, plus reimbursements,
shall become available on October 1, 2026, and shall remain
available until September 30, 2027: Provided, That, of the
amount made available on October 1, 2026, under this heading,
$350,000,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2028.

medical facilities

For necessary expenses for the maintenance and operation of
hospitals, nursing homes, domiciliary facilities, and other
necessary facilities of the Veterans Health Administration;
for administrative expenses in support of planning, design,
project management, real property acquisition and
disposition, construction, and renovation of any facility
under the jurisdiction or for the use of the Department; for
oversight, engineering, and architectural activities not
charged to project costs; for repairing, altering, improving,
or providing facilities in the several hospitals and homes
under the jurisdiction of the Department, not otherwise
provided for, either by contract or by the hire of temporary
employees and purchase of materials; for leases of
facilities; and for laundry services; $11,700,000,000, plus
reimbursements, shall become available on October 1, 2026,
and shall remain available until September 30, 2027:
Provided, That of the amount made available on October 1,
2026, under this heading, $500,000,000 shall remain available
until September 30, 2028.

bridging rental assistance for veteran empowerment

Contingent upon enactment of authorizing legislation to
create a rental assistance voucher program for homeless
veterans at the Department of Veterans Affairs, for necessary
expenses to carry out the Bridging Rental Assistance for
Veteran Empowerment program, $970,000,000 to remain available
until September 30, 2029, of which up to $75,000,000 shall be
available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out
pilot programs, including any necessary administrative
expenses, that aim to end homelessness among veterans.

medical and prosthetic research

For necessary expenses in carrying out programs of medical
and prosthetic research and development as authorized by
chapter 73 of title 38, United States Code, $943,000,000,
plus reimbursements, shall remain available until September
30, 2027: Provided, That the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall ensure that sufficient amounts appropriated under this
heading are available for prosthetic research specifically
for female veterans, and for toxic exposure research.

National Cemetery Administration

For necessary expenses of the National Cemetery
Administration for operations and maintenance, not otherwise
provided for, including uniforms or allowances therefor;
cemeterial expenses as authorized by law; purchase of one
passenger motor vehicle for use in cemeterial operations;
hire of passenger motor vehicles; and repair, alteration or
improvement of facilities under the jurisdiction of the
National Cemetery Administration, $497,000,000, of which not
to exceed 10 percent shall remain available until September
30, 2027.

Departmental Administration

general administration

(including transfer of funds)

For necessary operating expenses of the Department of
Veterans Affairs, not otherwise provided for, including
administrative expenses in support of Department-wide capital
planning, management and policy activities, uniforms, or
allowances therefor; not to exceed $25,000 for official
reception and representation expenses; hire of passenger
motor vehicles; and reimbursement of the General Services
Administration for security guard services, $450,000,000, of
which not to exceed 10 percent shall remain available until
September 30, 2027: Provided, That funds provided under this
heading may be transferred to ``General Operating Expenses,
Veterans Benefits Administration''.

board of veterans appeals

For necessary operating expenses of the Board of Veterans
Appeals, $287,000,000 of which not to exceed 10 percent shall
remain available until September 30, 2027.

information technology systems

(including transfer of funds)

For necessary expenses for information technology systems
and telecommunications support, including developmental
information systems and operational information systems; for
pay and associated costs; and for the capital asset
acquisition of information technology systems, including
management and related contractual costs of said
acquisitions, including contractual costs associated with
operations authorized by section 3109 of title 5, United
States Code, $5,882,000,000, plus reimbursements: Provided,
That $1,350,000,000 shall be for pay and associated costs, of
which not to exceed 3 percent shall remain available until
September 30, 2027: Provided further, That $4,531,000,000
shall be for operations and maintenance, of which not to
exceed 5 percent shall remain available until September 30,
2027, and of which $118,900,000 shall remain available until
September 30, 2030, for the purpose of facility activations
related to projects funded by the ``Construction, Major
Projects'', ``Construction, Minor Projects'', ``Medical
Facilities'', ``National Cemetery Administration'', ``General
Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefit Administration'', and
``General Administration'' accounts: Provided further, That
$1,000,000 shall be for information technology systems
development, and shall remain available until September 30,
2027: Provided further, That amounts made available for
salaries and expenses, operations and maintenance, and
information technology systems development may be transferred
among the three subaccounts after the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs requests from the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress the authority to make the transfer
and an approval is issued: Provided further, That amounts
made available for the ``Information Technology Systems''
account for development may be transferred among projects or
to newly defined projects: Provided further, That no project
may be increased or decreased by more than $3,000,000 of cost
prior to submitting a request to the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress to make the
transfer and an approval is issued, or absent a response, a
period of 30 days has elapsed: Provided further, That the
funds made available under this heading for information
technology systems development shall be for the projects, and
in the amounts, specified in the table entitled ``Information
Technology Development Projects'' under this heading in the
report accompanying this Act.

veterans electronic health record

For activities related to implementation, preparation,
development, interface, management, rollout, and maintenance
of a Veterans Electronic Health Record system, including
contractual costs associated with operations authorized by
section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, and salaries and
expenses of employees hired under titles 5 and 38, United
States Code, $2,515,893,000, to remain available until
September 30, 2028: Provided, That the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress quarterly reports detailing
obligations, expenditures, and deployment implementation by
facility, including any changes from the deployment plan or
schedule: Provided further, That the funds provided in this
account shall only be available to the Office of the Deputy
Secretary, to be administered by that Office: Provided
further, That 25 percent of the funds made available under
this heading shall not be available until July 1, 2026, and
are contingent upon the Secretary of Veterans Affairs--
(1) providing the Committees on Appropriations certifying
and detailing any changes to the full deployment schedule, no
later than 60 days prior to July 1, 2027; and
(2) certifying in writing no later than 30 days prior to
July 1, 2027, the following--
(A) the status of issues included in the report referenced
in paragraph (1), including issues that have not been closed
but have been suitably resolved or mitigated in a manner that
will enhance provider productivity and minimize the potential
for patient harm; and

[[Page H2946]]

(B) whether the system is stable, and optimized for further
deployment at VA sites.

office of inspector general

For necessary expenses of the Office of Inspector General,
to include information technology, in carrying out the
provisions of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C.
App.), $295,000,000, of which not to exceed 10 percent shall
remain available until September 30, 2027.

construction, major projects

For constructing, altering, extending, and improving any of
the facilities, including parking projects, under the
jurisdiction or for the use of the Department of Veterans
Affairs, or for any of the purposes set forth in sections
316, 2404, 2406 and chapter 81 of title 38, United States
Code, not otherwise provided for, including planning,
architectural and engineering services, construction
management services, maintenance or guarantee period services
costs associated with equipment guarantees provided under the
project, services of claims analysts, offsite utility and
storm drainage system construction costs, and site
acquisition, where the estimated cost of a project is more
than the amount set forth in section 8104(a)(3)(A) of title
38, United States Code, or where funds for a project were
made available in a previous major project appropriation,
$1,750,000,000, which shall remain available until September
30, 2030: Provided, That except for advance planning
activities, including needs assessments which may or may not
lead to capital investments, and other capital asset
management related activities, including portfolio
development and management activities, and planning, cost
estimating, and design for major medical facility projects
and major medical facility leases and investment strategy
studies funded through the advance planning fund and the
planning and design activities funded through the design
fund, staffing expenses, and funds provided for the purchase,
security, and maintenance of land for the National Cemetery
Administration and the Veterans Health Administration through
the land acquisition line item, none of the funds made
available under this heading shall be used for any project
that has not been notified to Congress through the budgetary
process or that has not been approved by the Congress through
statute, joint resolution, or in the explanatory statement
accompanying such Act and presented to the President at the
time of enrollment: Provided further, That funds provided
for the Veterans Health Administration through the land
acquisition line item shall only be for projects included on
the five year development plan notified to Congress through
the budgetary process: Provided further, That such sums as
may be necessary shall be available to reimburse the
``General Administration'' account for payment of salaries
and expenses of all Office of Construction and Facilities
Management employees to support the full range of capital
infrastructure services provided, including minor
construction and leasing services: Provided further, That
funds made available under this heading for fiscal year 2026,
for each approved project shall be obligated: (1) by the
awarding of a construction documents contract by September
30, 2026; and (2) by the awarding of a construction contract
by September 30, 2027: Provided further, That the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs shall promptly submit to the Committees
on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a written report
on any approved major construction project for which
obligations are not incurred within the time limitations
established above.

construction, minor projects

For constructing, altering, extending, and improving any of
the facilities, including parking projects, under the
jurisdiction or for the use of the Department of Veterans
Affairs, including planning and assessments of needs which
may lead to capital investments, architectural and
engineering services, maintenance or guarantee period
services costs associated with equipment guarantees provided
under the project, services of claims analysts, offsite
utility and storm drainage system construction costs, and
site acquisition, or for any of the purposes set forth in
sections 316, 2404, 2406 and chapter 81 of title 38, United
States Code, not otherwise provided for, where the estimated
cost of a project is equal to or less than the amount set
forth in section 8104(a)(3)(A) of title 38, United States
Code, $232,000,000, of which $200,000,000 shall remain
available until September 30, 2030, and of which $32,000,000
shall remain available until expended, along with unobligated
balances of previous ``Construction, Minor Projects''
appropriations which are hereby made available for any
project where the estimated cost is equal to or less than the
amount set forth in such section: Provided, That funds made
available under this heading shall be for: (1) repairs to any
of the nonmedical facilities under the jurisdiction or for
the use of the Department which are necessary because of loss
or damage caused by any natural disaster or catastrophe; and
(2) temporary measures necessary to prevent or to minimize
further loss by such causes.

grants for construction of state extended care facilities

For grants to assist States to acquire or construct State
nursing home and domiciliary facilities and to remodel,
modify, or alter existing hospital, nursing home, and
domiciliary facilities in State homes, for furnishing care to
veterans as authorized by sections 8131 through 8137 of title
38, United States Code, $171,000,000, to remain available
until expended.

grants for construction of veterans cemeteries

For grants to assist States and tribal organizations in
establishing, expanding, or improving veterans cemeteries as
authorized by section 2408 of title 38, United States Code,
$60,000,000, to remain available until expended.

cost of war toxic exposures fund

For investment in the delivery of veterans' health care
associated with exposure to environmental hazards, the
expenses incident to the delivery of veterans' health care
and benefits associated with exposure to environmental
hazards, and medical and other research relating to exposure
to environmental hazards, as authorized by section 324 of
title 38, United States Code, and in addition to the amounts
otherwise available for such purposes in the appropriations
provided in this or prior Acts, $52,676,000,000, which shall
become available on October 1, 2025, and shall remain
available until expended; and, in addition, $51,742,000,000,
which shall become available on October 1, 2026, and shall
remain available until September 30, 2028.

Administrative Provisions

(including transfer of funds)

Sec. 201. Any appropriation for fiscal year 2026 for
``Compensation and Pensions'', ``Readjustment Benefits'', and
``Veterans Insurance and Indemnities'' may be transferred as
necessary to any other of the mentioned appropriations:
Provided, That, before a transfer may take place, the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall request from the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress the
authority to make the transfer and such Committees issue an
approval, or absent a response, a period of 30 days has
elapsed.

(including transfer of funds)

Sec. 202. Amounts made available for the Department of
Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2026, in this or any other
Act, under the ``Medical Services'', ``Medical Community
Care'', ``Medical Support and Compliance'', and ``Medical
Facilities'' accounts may be transferred among the accounts:
Provided, That any transfers among the ``Medical Services'',
``Medical Community Care'', and ``Medical Support and
Compliance'' accounts of 1 percent or less of the total
amount appropriated to the account in this or any other Act
may take place subject to notification from the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs to the Committees on Appropriations of both
Houses of Congress of the amount and purpose of the transfer:
Provided further, That any transfers among the ``Medical
Services'', ``Medical Community Care'', and ``Medical Support
and Compliance'' accounts in excess of 1 percent, or
exceeding the cumulative 1 percent for the fiscal year, may
take place only after the Secretary requests from the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress the
authority to make the transfer and an approval is issued:
Provided further, That any transfers to or from the ``Medical
Facilities'' account may take place only after the Secretary
requests from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses
of Congress the authority to make the transfer and an
approval is issued.
Sec. 203. Appropriations available in this title for
salaries and expenses shall be available for services
authorized by section 3109 of title 5, United States Code;
hire of passenger motor vehicles; lease of a facility or land
or both; and uniforms or allowances therefore, as authorized
by sections 5901 through 5902 of title 5, United States Code.
Sec. 204. No appropriations in this title (except the
appropriations for ``Construction, Major Projects'', and
``Construction, Minor Projects'') shall be available for the
purchase of any site for or toward the construction of any
new hospital or home.
Sec. 205. No appropriations in this title shall be
available for hospitalization or examination of any persons
(except beneficiaries entitled to such hospitalization or
examination under the laws providing such benefits to
veterans, and persons receiving such treatment under sections
7901 through 7904 of title 5, United States Code, or the
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance
Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.)), unless reimbursement of the
cost of such hospitalization or examination is made to the
``Medical Services'' account at such rates as may be fixed by
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 206. Appropriations available in this title for
``Compensation and Pensions'', ``Readjustment Benefits'', and
``Veterans Insurance and Indemnities'' shall be available for
payment of prior year accrued obligations required to be
recorded by law against the corresponding prior year accounts
within the last quarter of fiscal year 2025.
Sec. 207. Appropriations available in this title shall be
available to pay prior year obligations of corresponding
prior year appropriations accounts resulting from sections
3328(a), 3334, and 3712(a) of title 31, United States Code,
except that if such obligations are from trust fund accounts
they shall be payable only from ``Compensation and
Pensions''.

(including transfer of funds)

Sec. 208. Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
during fiscal year 2026, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall, from the National Service Life Insurance Fund under
section 1920 of title 38, United States Code, the Veterans'
Special Life Insurance Fund under section 1923 of title 38,
United States Code, and the United States Government Life
Insurance Fund under section 1955 of title 38, United States
Code, reimburse the ``General Operating Expenses, Veterans
Benefits Administration'' and ``Information Technology
Systems'' accounts for the cost of administration of the
insurance programs financed through those accounts:
Provided, That reimbursement shall be made only from the
surplus earnings accumulated in such an insurance program
during fiscal year 2025 that are available for dividends in
that program after claims have been paid and actuarially
determined reserves have been set aside: Provided further,
That if the cost of administration of such an insurance
program exceeds the amount of surplus

[[Page H2947]]

earnings accumulated in that program, reimbursement shall be
made only to the extent of such surplus earnings: Provided
further, That the Secretary shall determine the cost of
administration for fiscal year 2025 which is properly
allocable to the provision of each such insurance program and
to the provision of any total disability income insurance
included in that insurance program.
Sec. 209. Amounts deducted from enhanced-use lease
proceeds to reimburse an account for expenses incurred by
that account during a prior fiscal year for providing
enhanced-use lease services shall be available until
expended.

(including transfer of funds)

Sec. 210. Funds available in this title or funds for
salaries and other administrative expenses shall also be
available to reimburse the Office of Resolution Management,
the Office of Employment Discrimination Complaint
Adjudication, and the Alternative Dispute Resolution function
within the Office of Human Resources and Administration for
all services provided at rates which will recover actual
costs but not to exceed $134,343,000 for the Office of
Resolution Management, $7,607,000 for the Office of
Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication, and
$7,686,000 for the Alternative Dispute Resolution function
within the Office of Human Resources and Administration:
Provided, That payments may be made in advance for services
to be furnished based on estimated costs: Provided further,
That amounts received shall be credited to the ``General
Administration'' and ``Information Technology Systems''
accounts for use by the office that provided the service.
Sec. 211. No funds of the Department of Veterans Affairs
shall be available for hospital care, nursing home care, or
medical services provided to any person under chapter 17 of
title 38, United States Code, for a non-service-connected
disability described in section 1729(a)(2) of such title,
unless that person has disclosed to the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs, in such form as the Secretary may require, current,
accurate third-party reimbursement information for purposes
of section 1729 of such title: Provided, That the Secretary
may recover, in the same manner as any other debt due the
United States, the reasonable charges for such care or
services from any person who does not make such disclosure as
required: Provided further, That any amounts so recovered
for care or services provided in a prior fiscal year may be
obligated by the Secretary during the fiscal year in which
amounts are received.

(including transfer of funds)

Sec. 212. Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
proceeds or revenues derived from enhanced-use leasing
activities (including disposal) may be deposited into the
``Construction, Major Projects'' and ``Construction, Minor
Projects'' accounts and be used for construction (including
site acquisition and disposition), alterations, and
improvements of any medical facility under the jurisdiction
or for the use of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Such
sums as realized are in addition to the amount provided for
in ``Construction, Major Projects'' and ``Construction, Minor
Projects''.
Sec. 213. Amounts made available under ``Medical
Services'' are available--
(1) for furnishing recreational facilities, supplies, and
equipment; and
(2) for funeral expenses, burial expenses, and other
expenses incidental to funerals and burials for beneficiaries
receiving care in the Department.

(including transfer of funds)

Sec. 214. Such sums as may be deposited into the Medical
Care Collections Fund pursuant to section 1729A of title 38,
United States Code, may be transferred to the ``Medical
Services'' and ``Medical Community Care'' accounts to remain
available until expended for the purposes of these accounts.
Sec. 215. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may enter into
agreements with Federally Qualified Health Centers in the
State of Alaska and Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations
which are party to the Alaska Native Health Compact with the
Indian Health Service, to provide healthcare, including
behavioral health and dental care, to veterans in rural
Alaska. The Secretary shall require participating veterans
and facilities to comply with all appropriate rules and
regulations, as established by the Secretary. The term
``rural Alaska'' shall mean those lands which are not within
the boundaries of the municipality of Anchorage or the
Fairbanks North Star Borough.

(including transfer of funds)

Sec. 216. Such sums as may be deposited into the
Department of Veterans Affairs Capital Asset Fund pursuant to
section 8118 of title 38, United States Code, may be
transferred to the ``Construction, Major Projects'' and
``Construction, Minor Projects'' accounts, to remain
available until expended for the purposes of these accounts.
Sec. 217. Not later than 30 days after the end of each
fiscal quarter, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
submit to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress a report on the financial status of the Department
of Veterans Affairs for the preceding quarter: Provided,
That, at a minimum, the report shall include the direction
contained in the paragraph entitled ``Quarterly reporting'',
under the heading ``General Administration'' in the joint
explanatory statement accompanying Public Law 114-223.

(including transfer of funds)

Sec. 218. Amounts made available under the ``Medical
Services'', ``Medical Community Care'', ``Medical Support and
Compliance'', ``Medical Facilities'', ``General Operating
Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration'', ``Board of
Veterans Appeals'', ``General Administration'', and
``National Cemetery Administration'' accounts for fiscal year
2026 may be transferred to or from the ``Information
Technology Systems'' account: Provided, That such transfers
may not result in a more than 10 percent aggregate increase
in the total amount made available by this Act for the
``Information Technology Systems'' account: Provided
further, That, before a transfer may take place, the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall request from the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress the
authority to make the transfer and an approval is issued.

(including transfer of funds)

Sec. 219. Of the amounts appropriated to the Department of
Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2026 for ``Medical
Services'', ``Medical Community Care'', ``Medical Support and
Compliance'', ``Medical Facilities'', ``Construction, Minor
Projects'', and ``Information Technology Systems'', up to
$654,954,000, plus reimbursements, may be transferred to the
Joint Department of Defense--Department of Veterans Affairs
Medical Facility Demonstration Fund, established by section
1704 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2010 (Public Law 111-84; 123 Stat. 2571) and may be used
for operation of the facilities designated as combined
Federal medical facilities as described by section 706 of the
Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417; 122 Stat. 4500): Provided,
That additional funds may be transferred from accounts
designated in this section to the Joint Department of
Defense--Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility
Demonstration Fund upon written notification by the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs to the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress: Provided further, That section 220
of title II of division A of Public Law 118-42, as continued
by division A of Public Law 119-4 is repealed.
Sec. 220. Of the amounts appropriated to the Department of
Veterans Affairs which become available on October 1, 2026,
for ``Medical Services'', ``Medical Community Care'',
``Medical Support and Compliance'', and ``Medical
Facilities'', up to $739,918,000, plus reimbursements, may be
transferred to the Joint Department of Defense--Department of
Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund,
established by section 1704 of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111-84;
123 Stat. 2571) and may be used for operation of the
facilities designated as combined Federal medical facilities
as described by section 706 of the Duncan Hunter National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law
110-417; 122 Stat. 4500): Provided, That additional funds
may be transferred from accounts designated in this section
to the Joint Department of Defense--Department of Veterans
Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund upon written
notification by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.

(including transfer of funds)

Sec. 221. Such sums as may be deposited into the Medical
Care Collections Fund pursuant to section 1729A of title 38,
United States Code, for healthcare provided at facilities
designated as combined Federal medical facilities as
described by section 706 of the Duncan Hunter National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law
110-417; 122 Stat. 4500) shall also be available: (1) for
transfer to the Joint Department of Defense--Department of
Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund,
established by section 1704 of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111-84;
123 Stat. 2571); and (2) for operations of the facilities
designated as combined Federal medical facilities as
described by section 706 of the Duncan Hunter National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law
110-417; 122 Stat. 4500): Provided, That, notwithstanding
section 1704(b)(3) of the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111-84; 123 Stat. 2573),
amounts transferred to the Joint Department of Defense--
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration
Fund shall remain available until expended.

(including transfer of funds)

Sec. 222. Of the amounts available in this title for
``Medical Services'', ``Medical Community Care'', ``Medical
Support and Compliance'', and ``Medical Facilities'', a
minimum of $15,000,000 shall be transferred to the DOD-VA
Health Care Sharing Incentive Fund, as authorized by section
8111(d) of title 38, United States Code, to remain available
until expended, for any purpose authorized by section 8111 of
title 38, United States Code.
Sec. 223. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall notify
the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress
of all bid savings in a major construction project that total
at least $5,000,000, or 5 percent of the programmed amount of
the project, whichever is less: Provided, That such
notification shall occur within 14 days of a contract
identifying the programmed amount: Provided further, That
the Secretary shall notify the Committees on Appropriations
of both Houses of Congress 14 days prior to the obligation of
such bid savings and shall describe the anticipated use of
such savings.
Sec. 224. None of the funds made available for
``Construction, Major Projects'' may be used for a project in
excess of the scope specified for that project in the
original justification data provided to the Congress as part
of the request for appropriations unless the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs receives approval from the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
Sec. 225. Not later than 30 days after the end of each
fiscal quarter, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
submit to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress a quarterly report containing performance measures

[[Page H2948]]

and data from each Veterans Benefits Administration Regional
Office: Provided, That, at a minimum, the report shall
include the direction contained in the section entitled
``Disability claims backlog'', under the heading ``General
Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration'' in the
joint explanatory statement accompanying Public Law 114-223:
Provided further, That the report shall also include
information on the number of appeals pending at the Veterans
Benefits Administration as well as the Board of Veterans
Appeals on a quarterly basis.
Sec. 226. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall provide
written notification to the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress 15 days prior to organizational
changes which result in the transfer of 25 or more full-time
equivalents from one organizational unit of the Department of
Veterans Affairs to another.
Sec. 227. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall provide
on a quarterly basis to the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress notification of any single national
outreach and awareness marketing campaign in which
obligations exceed $1,000,000.

(including transfer of funds)

Sec. 228. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, upon
determination that such action is necessary to address needs
of the Veterans Health Administration, may transfer to the
``Medical Services'' account any discretionary appropriations
made available for fiscal year 2026 in this title (except
appropriations made to the ``General Operating Expenses,
Veterans Benefits Administration'' account) or any
discretionary unobligated balances within the Department of
Veterans Affairs, including those appropriated for fiscal
year 2026, that were provided in advance by appropriations
Acts: Provided, That transfers shall be made only with the
approval of the Office of Management and Budget: Provided
further, That the transfer authority provided in this section
is in addition to any other transfer authority provided by
law: Provided further, That no amounts may be transferred
from amounts that were designated by Congress as an emergency
requirement pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget
or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of
1985: Provided further, That such authority to transfer may
not be used unless for higher priority items, based on
emergent healthcare requirements, than those for which
originally appropriated and in no case where the item for
which funds are requested has been denied by Congress:
Provided further, That, upon determination that all or part
of the funds transferred from an appropriation are not
necessary, such amounts may be transferred back to that
appropriation and shall be available for the same purposes as
originally appropriated: Provided further, That before a
transfer may take place, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall request from the Committees on Appropriations of both
Houses of Congress the authority to make the transfer and
receive approval of that request.

(including transfer of funds)

Sec. 229. Amounts made available for the Department of
Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2026, under the ``Board of
Veterans Appeals'' and the ``General Operating Expenses,
Veterans Benefits Administration'' accounts may be
transferred between such accounts: Provided, That before a
transfer may take place, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall request from the Committees on Appropriations of both
Houses of Congress the authority to make the transfer and
receive approval of that request.
Sec. 230. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may not
reprogram funds among major construction projects or programs
if such instance of reprogramming will exceed $7,000,000,
unless such reprogramming is approved by the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
Sec. 231. (a) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
ensure that the toll-free suicide hotline under section
1720F(h) of title 38, United States Code--
(1) provides to individuals who contact the hotline
immediate assistance from a trained professional; and
(2) adheres to all requirements of the American Association
of Suicidology.
(b)(1) None of the funds made available by this Act may be
used to enforce or otherwise carry out any Executive action
that prohibits the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from
appointing an individual to occupy a vacant civil service
position, or establishing a new civil service position, at
the Department of Veterans Affairs with respect to such a
position relating to the hotline specified in subsection (a).
(2) In this subsection--
(A) the term ``civil service'' has the meaning given such
term in section 2101(1) of title 5, United States Code; and
(B) the term ``Executive action'' includes--
(i) any Executive order, Presidential memorandum, or other
action by the President; and
(ii) any agency policy, order, or other directive.
(c)(1) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct a
study on the effectiveness of the hotline specified in
subsection (a) during the 5-year period beginning on January
1, 2016, based on an analysis of national suicide data and
data collected from such hotline.
(2) At a minimum, the study required by paragraph (1)
shall--
(A) determine the number of veterans who contact the
hotline specified in subsection (a) and who receive follow up
services from the hotline or mental health services from the
Department of Veterans Affairs thereafter;
(B) determine the number of veterans who contact the
hotline who are not referred to, or do not continue
receiving, mental health care who commit suicide; and
(C) determine the number of veterans described in
subparagraph (A) who commit or attempt suicide.
Sec. 232. Effective during the period beginning on October
1, 2018, and ending on January 1, 2026, none of the funds
made available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs by this
or any other Act may be obligated or expended in
contravention of the ``Veterans Health Administration
Clinical Preventive Services Guidance Statement on the
Veterans Health Administration's Screening for Breast Cancer
Guidance'' published on May 10, 2017, as issued by the
Veterans Health Administration National Center for Health
Promotion and Disease Prevention.
Sec. 233. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
the amounts appropriated or otherwise made available to the
Department of Veterans Affairs for the ``Medical Services''
account may be used to provide--
(1) fertility counseling and treatment using assisted
reproductive technology to a covered veteran or the spouse of
a covered veteran; or
(2) adoption reimbursement to a covered veteran.
(b) In this section:
(1) The term ``service-connected'' has the meaning given
such term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code.
(2) The term ``covered veteran'' means a veteran, as such
term is defined in section 101 of title 38, United States
Code, who has a service-connected disability that results in
the inability of the veteran to procreate without the use of
fertility treatment.
(3) The term ``assisted reproductive technology'' means
benefits relating to reproductive assistance provided to a
member of the Armed Forces who incurs a serious injury or
illness on active duty pursuant to section 1074(c)(4)(A) of
title 10, United States Code, as described in the memorandum
on the subject of ``Policy for Assisted Reproductive Services
for the Benefit of Seriously or Severely Ill/Injured
(Category II or III) Active Duty Service Members'' issued by
the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs on
April 3, 2012, and the guidance issued to implement such
policy, including any limitations on the amount of such
benefits available to such a member except that--
(A) the time periods regarding embryo cryopreservation and
storage set forth in part III(G) and in part IV(H) of such
memorandum shall not apply; and
(B) such term includes embryo cryopreservation and storage
without limitation on the duration of such cryopreservation
and storage.
(4) The term ``adoption reimbursement'' means reimbursement
for the adoption-related expenses for an adoption that is
finalized after the date of the enactment of this Act under
the same terms as apply under the adoption reimbursement
program of the Department of Defense, as authorized in
Department of Defense Instruction 1341.09, including the
reimbursement limits and requirements set forth in such
instruction.
(c) Amounts made available for the purposes specified in
subsection (a) of this section are subject to the
requirements for funds contained in section 508 of division H
of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115-
141).
Sec. 234. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this Act or any other Act for the Department of
Veterans Affairs may be used in a manner that is inconsistent
with: (1) section 842 of the Transportation, Treasury,
Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, the District of
Columbia, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006
(Public Law 109-115; 119 Stat. 2506); or (2) section
8110(a)(5) of title 38, United States Code.
Sec. 235. Section 842 of Public Law 109-115 shall not
apply to conversion of an activity or function of the
Veterans Health Administration, Veterans Benefits
Administration, or National Cemetery Administration to
contractor performance by a business concern that is at least
51 percent owned by one or more Indian Tribes as defined in
section 5304(e) of title 25, United States Code, or one or
more Native Hawaiian Organizations as defined in section
637(a)(15) of title 15, United States Code.
Sec. 236. (a) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in
consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary
of Labor, shall discontinue using Social Security account
numbers to authenticate individuals in all information
systems of the Department of Veterans Affairs for all
individuals not later than September 30, 2026:
(b) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may collect and use a
Social Security account number to identify an individual, in
accordance with section 552a of title 5, United States Code,
in an information system of the Department of Veterans
Affairs if and only if the use of such number is necessary
to:
(1) obtain or provide information the Secretary requires
from an information system that is not under the jurisdiction
of the Secretary;
(2) comply with a law, regulation, or court order;
(3) perform anti-fraud activities; or
(4) identify a specific individual where no adequate
substitute is available.
(c) The matter in subsections (a) and (b) shall supersede
section 237 of division J of Public Law 117-328.
Sec. 237. For funds provided to the Department of Veterans
Affairs for each of fiscal year 2026 and 2027 for ``Medical
Services'', section 239 of division A of Public Law 114-223
shall apply.
Sec. 238. None of the funds appropriated in this or prior
appropriations Acts or otherwise made available to the
Department of Veterans Affairs may be used to transfer any
amounts from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund
to any other account within the Department of Veterans
Affairs.
Sec. 239. Of the funds provided to the Department of
Veterans Affairs for each of fiscal year 2026 and fiscal year
2027 for ``Medical Services'', funds may be used in each year
to carry out and

[[Page H2949]]

expand the child care program authorized by section 205 of
Public Law 111-163, notwithstanding subsection (e) of such
section.
Sec. 240. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available in this title may be used by the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs to enter into an agreement related to
resolving a dispute or claim with an individual that would
restrict in any way the individual from speaking to members
of Congress or their staff on any topic not otherwise
prohibited from disclosure by Federal law or required by
Executive order to be kept secret in the interest of national
defense or the conduct of foreign affairs.
Sec. 241. For funds provided to the Department of Veterans
Affairs for each of fiscal year 2026 and 2027, section 258 of
division A of Public Law 114-223 shall apply.
Sec. 242. (a) None of the funds appropriated or otherwise
made available by this Act may be used to deny an Inspector
General funded under this Act timely access to any records,
documents, or other materials available to the department or
agency over which that Inspector General has responsibilities
under the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.), or
to prevent or impede the access of the Inspector General to
such records, documents, or other materials, under any
provision of law, except a provision of law that expressly
refers to such Inspector General and expressly limits the
right of access.
(b) A department or agency covered by this section shall
provide its Inspector General access to all records,
documents, and other materials in a timely manner.
(c) Each Inspector General shall ensure compliance with
statutory limitations on disclosure relevant to the
information provided by the establishment over which that
Inspector General has responsibilities under the Inspector
General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.).
(d) Each Inspector General covered by this section shall
report to the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and
the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives within 5 calendar days of any failure by any
department or agency covered by this section to comply with
this requirement.
Sec. 243. None of the funds made available in this Act may
be used in a manner that would increase wait times for
veterans who seek care at medical facilities of the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 244. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this Act to the Veterans Health Administration
may be used in fiscal year 2026 to convert any program which
received specific purpose funds in fiscal year 2025 to a
general purpose funded program unless the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs submits written notification of any such
proposal to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses
of Congress at least 30 days prior to any such action and an
approval is issued by the Committees.
Sec. 245. For funds provided to the Department of Veterans
Affairs for each of fiscal year 2026 and 2027, section 248 of
division A of Public Law 114-223 shall apply.
Sec. 246. (a) None of the funds appropriated or otherwise
made available by this Act may be used to conduct research
commencing on or after July 1, 2025, that uses any canine,
feline, or non-human primate unless the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs approves such research specifically and in writing
pursuant to subsection (b).
(b)(1) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may approve the
conduct of research commencing on or after July 1, 2025,
using canines, felines, or non-human primates if the
Secretary certifies that--
(A) the scientific objectives of the research can only be
met by using such canines, felines, or non-human primates and
cannot be met using other animal models, in vitro models,
computational models, human clinical studies, or other
research alternatives;
(B) such scientific objectives are necessary to advance
research benefiting veterans and are directly related to an
illness or injury that is combat-related as defined by 10
U.S.C. 1413(e);
(C) the research is consistent with the revised Department
of Veterans Affairs canine research policy document dated
December 15, 2017, including any subsequent revisions to such
document; and
(D) ethical considerations regarding minimizing the harm
experienced by canines, felines, or non-human primates are
included in evaluating the scientific necessity of the
research.
(2) The Secretary may not delegate the authority under this
subsection.
(c) If the Secretary approves any new research pursuant to
subsection (b), not later than 30 days before the
commencement of such research, the Secretary shall submit to
the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and House of
Representatives a report describing--
(1) the nature of the research to be conducted using
canines, felines, or non-human primates;
(2) the date on which the Secretary approved the research
(3) the USDA pain category on the approved use
(4) the justification for the determination of the
Secretary that the scientific objectives of such research
could only be met using canines, felines, or non-human
primates, and methods used to make such determination;
(5) the frequency and duration of such research; and
(6) the protocols in place to ensure the necessity, safety,
and efficacy of the research, and animal welfare.
(d) Not later than December 31, 2025, and biannually
thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to such Committees a
report describing--
(1) any research being conducted by the Department of
Veterans Affairs using canines, felines, or non-human
primates as of the date of the submittal of the report;
(2) the circumstances under which such research was
conducted using canines, felines, or non-human primates;
(3) the justification for using canines, felines, or non-
human primates to conduct such research;
(4) the protocols in place to ensure the necessity, safety,
and efficacy of such research; and
(5) the development and adoption of alternatives to
canines, felines, or non-human primates research.
(e) Not later than December 31, 2025, and annually
thereafter, the Department of Veterans Affairs must submit to
voluntary U.S. Department of Agriculture inspections of
canine, feline, and non-human primate research facilities.
(f) Not later than December 31, 2025, and annually
thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to such Committees a
report describing --
(1) any violations of the Animal Welfare Act, the Public
Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory
Animals, or other Department of Veterans Affairs policies
related to oversight of animal research found during that
quarter in VA research facilities;
(2) immediate corrective actions taken; and
(3) specific actions taken to prevent their recurrence.
(g) The Department shall implement a plan under which the
Secretary will eliminate the research conducted using
canines, felines, or non-human primates by not later than
September 20, 2026.
Sec. 247. (a) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may use
amounts appropriated or otherwise made available in this
title to ensure that the ratio of veterans to full-time
employment equivalents within any program of rehabilitation
conducted under chapter 31 of title 38, United States Code,
does not exceed 125 veterans to one full-time employment
equivalent.
(b) Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report
on the programs of rehabilitation conducted under chapter 31
of title 38, United States Code, including--
(1) an assessment of the veteran-to-staff ratio for each
such program; and
(2) recommendations for such action as the Secretary
considers necessary to reduce the veteran-to-staff ratio for
each such program.
Sec. 248. Amounts made available for the ``Veterans Health
Administration, Medical Community Care'' account in this or
any other Act for fiscal years 2025 and 2026 may be used for
expenses that would otherwise be payable from the Veterans
Choice Fund established by section 802 of the Veterans
Access, Choice, and Accountability Act, as amended (38 U.S.C.
1701 note).
Sec. 249. Obligations and expenditures applicable to the
``Medical Services'' account in fiscal years 2017 through
2019 for aid to state homes (as authorized by section 1741 of
title 38, United States Code) shall remain in the ``Medical
Community Care'' account for such fiscal years.
Sec. 250. Of the amounts made available for the Department
of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2024, in this or any
other Act, under the ``Veterans Health Administration--
Medical Services'', ``Veterans Health Administration--Medical
Community Care'', ``Veterans Health Administration--Medical
Support and Compliance'', and ``Veterans Health
Administration--Medical Facilities'' accounts, $1,323,444,000
shall be made available for gender-specific care and
programmatic efforts to deliver care for women veterans.
Sec. 251. Notwithstanding any other law, unless prevented
by an order issued by a federal or state court, by no later
than September 30, 2026, the Secretary shall commence
construction of the Community Based Outpatient Clinic in
Bakersfield, California authorized in section 1(a)(3) of
Public Law 111-82 and in accordance with Lease
No.36C10F20L0008 or successor lease.
Sec. 252. Not later than 30 days after the end of each
fiscal quarter, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
submit to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress a quarterly report on the status of the ``Veterans
Medical Care and Health Fund'', established to execute
section 8002 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public
Law 117-2): Provided, That, at a minimum, the report shall
include an update on obligations by program, project or
activity and a plan for expending the remaining funds.
Sec. 253. Any amounts transferred to the Secretary and
administered by a corporation referred to in section 7364(b)
of title 38, United States Code, between October 1, 2018 and
September 30, 2019 for purposes of carrying out an order
placed with the Department of Veterans Affairs pursuant to
section 1535 of title 31, United States Code, that are
available for obligation pursuant to section 7364(b)(1) of
title 38, United States Code, are to remain available for the
liquidation of valid obligations incurred by such corporation
during the period of performance of such order, provided that
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs determines that such
amounts need to remain available for such liquidation.
Sec. 254. Unobligated balances available under the
headings ``Construction, Major Projects'' and ``Construction,
Minor Projects'' may be obligated by the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs for a facility pursuant to section 2(e)(1)
of the Communities Helping Invest through Property and
Improvements Needed for Veterans Act of 2016 (Public Law 114-
294; 38 U.S.C. 8103 note), as amended, to provide additional
funds or to fund an escalation clause under such section of
such Act: Provided, That before such unobligated balances
are obligated pursuant to this section, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall request from the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress the authority to
obligate such unobligated balances and such Committees issue
an approval, or absent a response, a period of 30 days has
elapsed: Provided further, That the request to obligate such
unobligated balances must provide Congress notice that the
entity described in section 2(a)(2) of

[[Page H2950]]

Public Law 114-294, as amended, has exhausted available cost
containment approaches as set forth in the agreement under
section 2(c) of such Public Law.
Sec. 255. (a) None of the funds made available in this Act
may be used to implement, administer, or otherwise carry out
the Department of Veterans Affairs interim final rule
published on September 9, 2022, or any successor to such
rule, or to propose, promulgate, or implement any
substantially similar rule or policy.
(b) None of the funds appropriated in this Act shall be
expended for any abortion, including through a medical
benefits package or health benefits program that includes
coverage of abortion.
(c) The limitations established in subsection (b) shall not
apply to an abortion--
(1) if the pregnancy is the result of an act of rape or
incest; or
(2) in the case where a woman suffers from a physical
disorder, physical injury, or physical illness, including a
life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from
the pregnancy itself, that would, as certified by a
physician, place the woman in danger of death unless an
abortion is performed.
Sec. 256. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used for surgical procedures or hormone therapies for the
purposes of gender affirming care.
Sec. 257. During the period beginning on October 1, 2025
and ending on September 30, 2026, none of the funds made
available by this Act may be used to administer, implement,
or enforce the final rule issued by the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs relating to ``Change in Rates VA Pays for Special
Modes of Transportation'' (88 Fed. Reg. 10032) and published
on February 16, 2023.
Sec. 258. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to carry out VHA Directive 1193.01, ``Coronavirus
Disease 2019 Vaccination Program for Veterans Health
Administration Health Care Personnel''.
Sec. 259. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to provide any services to any individual unlawfully
present in the United States who is not eligible for health
care under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs.
Sec. 260. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs under section
5502 of title 38, United States Code, in any case arising out
of the administration by the Secretary of laws and benefits
under such title, to report a person who is deemed mentally
incapacitated, mentally incompetent, or to be experiencing an
extended loss of consciousness as a person who has been
adjudicated as a mental defective under subjection (d)(4) or
(g)(4) of section 922 of title 18, United States Code,
without the order or finding a judge, magistrate, or other
judicial authority of competent jurisdiction that such person
is a danger to himself or herself or others.
Sec. 261. Of the unobligated balances from amounts made
available under the heading ``Veterans Health
Administration'' from prior appropriations Acts, including
any funds transferred from the Medical Care Collections Fund
to accounts under such heading, $15,889,000,000 is hereby
permanently rescinded: Provided, That no amounts may be
rescinded from amounts that were provided under the heading
``Medical and Prosthetic Research'' or amounts that were
designated by the Congress as an emergency requirement
pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget or the
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985:
Provided further; That the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of the House
of Representatives and the Senate a plan for rescinding
amounts pursuant to this section not later than 30 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act.

TITLE III

RELATED AGENCIES

American Battle Monuments Commission

salaries and expenses

For necessary expenses, not otherwise provided for, of the
American Battle Monuments Commission, including the
acquisition of land or interest in land in foreign countries;
purchases and repair of uniforms for caretakers of national
cemeteries and monuments outside of the United States and its
territories and possessions; rent of office and garage space
in foreign countries; purchase (one-for-one replacement basis
only) and hire of passenger motor vehicles; not to exceed
$15,000 for official reception and representation expenses;
and insurance of official motor vehicles in foreign
countries, when required by law of such countries,
$106,000,000, to remain available until expended.

foreign currency fluctuations account

For necessary expenses, not otherwise provided for, of the
American Battle Monuments Commission, such sums as may be
necessary, to remain available until expended, for purposes
authorized by section 2109 of title 36, United States Code.

United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims

salaries and expenses

For necessary expenses for the operation of the United
States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims as authorized by
sections 7251 through 7298 of title 38, United States Code,
$49,000,000: Provided, That $3,800,000 shall be available
for the purpose of providing financial assistance as
described and in accordance with the process and reporting
procedures set forth under this heading in Public Law 102-
229.

Department of Defense--Civil

Cemeterial Expenses, Army

salaries and expenses

For necessary expenses for maintenance, operation, and
improvement of Arlington National Cemetery and Soldiers' and
Airmen's Home National Cemetery, including the purchase or
lease of passenger motor vehicles for replacement on a one-
for-one basis only, and not to exceed $2,000 for official
reception and representation expenses, $115,000,000, of which
not to exceed $15,000,000 shall remain available until
September 30, 2028. In addition, such sums as may be
necessary for parking maintenance, repairs and replacement,
to be derived from the ``Lease of Department of Defense Real
Property for Defense Agencies'' account.

Armed Forces Retirement Home

trust fund

For expenses necessary for the Armed Forces Retirement Home
to operate and maintain the Armed Forces Retirement Home--
Washington, District of Columbia, and the Armed Forces
Retirement Home--Gulfport, Mississippi, to be paid from funds
available in the Armed Forces Retirement Home Trust Fund,
$70,520,000, to remain available until September 30, 2027, of
which $1,000,000 shall remain available until expended for
construction and renovation of the physical plants at the
Armed Forces Retirement Home--Washington, District of
Columbia, and the Armed Forces Retirement Home--Gulfport,
Mississippi: Provided, That of the amounts made available
under this heading from funds available in the Armed Forces
Retirement Home Trust Fund, $25,000,000 shall be paid from
the general fund of the Treasury to the Trust Fund.

Administrative Provision

Sec. 301. Amounts deposited into the special account
established under 10 U.S.C. 7727 are appropriated and shall
be available until expended to support activities at the Army
National Military Cemeteries.

TITLE IV

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 401. No part of any appropriation contained in this
Act shall remain available for obligation beyond the current
fiscal year unless expressly so provided herein.
Sec. 402. None of the funds made available in this Act may
be used for any program, project, or activity, when it is
made known to the Federal entity or official to which the
funds are made available that the program, project, or
activity is not in compliance with any Federal law relating
to risk assessment, the protection of private property
rights, or unfunded mandates.
Sec. 403. All departments and agencies funded under this
Act are encouraged, within the limits of the existing
statutory authorities and funding, to expand their use of
``E-Commerce'' technologies and procedures in the conduct of
their business practices and public service activities.
Sec. 404. Unless stated otherwise, all reports and
notifications required by this Act shall be submitted to the
Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs,
and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of
the House of Representatives and the Subcommittee on Military
Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies of
the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
Sec. 405. None of the funds made available in this Act may
be transferred to any department, agency, or instrumentality
of the United States Government except pursuant to a transfer
made by, or transfer authority provided in, this or any other
appropriations Act.
Sec. 406. None of the funds made available in this Act may
be used for a project or program named for an individual
serving as a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner of
the United States House of Representatives.
Sec. 407. (a) Any agency receiving funds made available in
this Act, shall, subject to subsections (b) and (c), post on
the public Web site of that agency any report required to be
submitted by the Congress in this or any other Act, upon the
determination by the head of the agency that it shall serve
the national interest.
(b) Subsection (a) shall not apply to a report if--
(1) the public posting of the report compromises national
security; or
(2) the report contains confidential or proprietary
information.
(c) The head of the agency posting such report shall do so
only after such report has been made available to the
requesting Committee or Committees of Congress for no less
than 30days.
Sec. 408. (a) None of the funds made available in this Act
may be used to maintain or establish a computer network
unless such network blocks the viewing, downloading, and
exchanging of pornography.
(b) Nothing in subsection (a) shall limit the use of funds
necessary for any Federal, State, tribal, or local law
enforcement agency or any other entity carrying out criminal
investigations, prosecution, or adjudication activities.
Sec. 409. None of the funds made available in this Act may
be used by an agency of the executive branch to pay for
first-class travel by an employee of the agency in
contravention of sections 301-10.122 through 301-10.124 of
title 41, Code of Federal Regulations.
Sec. 410. None of the funds made available in this Act may
be used to execute a contract for goods or services,
including construction services, where the contractor has not
complied with Executive Order No. 12989.
Sec. 411. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used in contravention of section 101(e)(8) of title 10,
United States Code.
Sec. 412. (a) In General.--None of the funds appropriated
or otherwise made available to the Department of Defense in
this Act may be used to construct, renovate, or expand any
facility in the United States, its territories, or
possessions to house any individual detained at United

[[Page H2951]]

States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for the purposes
of detention or imprisonment in the custody or under the
control of the Department of Defense.
(b) The prohibition in subsection (a) shall not apply to
any modification of facilities at United States Naval
Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
(c) An individual described in this subsection is any
individual who, as of June 24, 2009, is located at United
States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and who--
(1) is not a citizen of the United States or a member of
the Armed Forces of the United States; and
(2) is--
(A) in the custody or under the effective control of the
Department of Defense; or
(B) otherwise under detention at United States Naval
Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Sec. 413. None of the funds appropriated by this Act may
be used in any way, directly or indirectly, to influence
congressional action on any legislation or appropriation
matter pending before Congress, other than to communicate to
Members of Congress as described in 18 U.S.C. 1913.
Sec. 414. For an additional amount for the ``Office of the
Secretary'', $1,500,000, to remain available until expended,
for the Secretary to enter into an agreement with the
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to
conduct a study on the prevalence and mortality of cancers
among individuals who served as active-duty aircrew in the
Armed Forces: Provided, That the panel or panels established
by the National Academies Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
to conduct the study shall identify exposures associated with
military occupations of covered individuals, including
relating to chemicals, compounds, agents, and other
phenomena: Provided further, the study shall review the
literature to determine associations between exposures and
the incidence of overall cancer morbidity, cancer mortality
and increased prevalence of brain cancer, colon and rectal
cancers, kidney cancer, lung cancer, melanoma skin cancer,
non-Hodgkin lymphoma, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer,
testicular cancer, thyroid cancer, urinary bladder cancer and
any other cancers determined appropriate by the Department of
Veterans Affairs: Provided further, That not later than
eighteen months after the date of enactment of this Act, the
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
shall submit its report to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
and the Congress of its systematic review and data analysis
of the research topics.
Sec. 415. There is hereby appropriated $1,500,000, to
remain available until expended, for a pilot program for the
Secretary to partner with a private laboratory to utilize
Forensic Genetic Genealogy sequencing technology to identify
the remains of fallen soldiers buried at the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Sec. 416. (a) None of the funds appropriated by this Act or
otherwise made available for fiscal year 2026 for the
Department of Veterans Affairs may be obligated, awarded, or
expended to procure or purchase covered information
technology equipment in cases where the manufacturer, bidder,
or offeror, or any subsidiary or parent entity of the
manufacturer, bidder, or offeror, of the equipment is an
entity or parent company of an entity listed on any of the
following:
(1) The Chinese Military Company List of the Department of
Defense.
(2) The Non-SDN Chinese Military Industrial Complex
Companies List of the Department of the Treasury.
(3) The Denied Persons List, Entity List, or Military End
User List of the Department of Commerce, if the entity is--
(A) an agency or instrumentality of the People's Republic
of China;
(B) an entity headquartered in the People's Republic of
China; or
(C) directly or indirectly owned or controlled by an
agency, instrumentality, or entity described in subparagraph
(A) or (B).
(4) The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List of
the Department of Homeland Security.
(b) The prohibition under subsection (a) shall apply to a
case in which the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has entered
into a contract with a non-Department entity for the
procurement or purchase of, or the expenditure of funds on,
covered information technology equipment.
(c) In this section, the term ``covered information
technology equipment''--
(1) means a computer, printer, or interoperable
videoconferencing equipment for direct use by employees of
the Department of Veterans Affairs in an office environment;
and
(2) does not include services that use such equipment,
including cloud services.
Sec. 417. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available in this Act may be used to--
(1) Classify or facilitate the classification of any
communications by a United States person as a mis-, dis-, or
mal-information; or
(2) Partner with or fund nonprofit or other private
organizations that in any way instruct, influence, direct, or
recommend that private companies in any way censor, prohibit,
or obstruct lawful and constitutionally protected speech of
United States persons, including recommending the censoring
or removal of content on social media platforms.
Sec. 418. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure
that the policies and requirements described in the
transmittal sheet of the Veterans Health Administration
published on August 8, 2019, titled ``Smoke-Free Policy for
Employees at VA Health Care Facilities (VHA Directive
1085.01)'' remain in effect.
Sec. 419. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to reduce the staffing, hours of operation, or
services of the Veterans Crisis Line or any other suicide
prevention program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

spending reduction account

Sec. 420. $0.
This Act may be cited as the ``Military Construction,
Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act,
2026''.
The CHAIR. No further amendment to the bill, as amended, shall be in
order except those printed in House Report 119-167, amendments en bloc,
and pro forma amendments described in section 4 of House Resolution
530.
Each further amendment printed in House Report 119-167 shall be
considered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only
by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered as read,
shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided
and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject
to amendment except as provided by section 4 of House Resolution 530,
and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question.
It shall be in order at any time for the chair of the Committee on
Appropriations or his designee to offer amendments en bloc consisting
of further amendments printed in House Report 119-167 not earlier
disposed of.
Amendments en bloc offered pursuant to section 3 of House Resolution
530 shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for 20 minutes
equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member
of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees, shall
not be subject to amendment except as provided by section 4 of House
Resolution 530, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of
the question.
During consideration of the bill for amendment, the chair and ranking
minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective
designees may offer up to 10 pro forma amendments each at any point for
the purpose of debate.

Amendments En Bloc No. 1 Offered by Mr. Carter of Texas

Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chair, pursuant to House Resolution 530, I
offer amendments en bloc.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendments en bloc.
Amendments en bloc No. 1 consisting of amendment Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 20, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29, and 30
printed in House Report 119-167, offered by Mr. Carter of Texas:

Amendment No. 2 Offered by Ms. Boebert of Colorado

Page 35, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $2,000,000)''.
Page 36, line 20, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $2,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 3 Offered by Ms. Boebert of Colorado

Page 36, line 20, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $3,000,000)''.
Page 40, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $2,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 4 Offered by Ms. Boebert of Colorado

Page 36, line 20, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $3,500,000)''.
Page 44, line 12, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $2,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 5 Offered by Ms. Boebert of Colorado

Page 36, line 20, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $2,000,000)''.
Page 44, line 18, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $2,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 6 Offered by Ms. Boebert of Colorado

Page 36, line 20, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $3,500,000)''.
Page 37, line 3, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $2,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 7 Offered by Ms. Castor of Florida

Page 4, line 13, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $360,000,000) (increased by $360,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 9 Offered by Ms. Goodlander of New Hampshire

Page 34, line 18, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 10 Offered by Mr. Gottheimer of New Jersey

Page 31, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert the
following ``(reduced by $5,000,000) (increased by
$5,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 11 Offered by Mr. Gottheimer of New Jersey

Page 31, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert the
following ``(reduced by $5,000,000) (increased by
$5,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 12 Offered by Mr. Gottheimer of New Jersey

Page 31, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $285,000,000) (increased by $285,000,000)''.

[[Page H2952]]

Amendment No. 16 Offered by Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia

Page 31, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert
``(decreased by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 17 Offered by Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia

Page 31, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert
``(decreased by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.

amendment no. 18 offered by mrs. kiggans of Virginia

Page 2, line 22, after the dollar amount, insert
``(decreased by $1,000,000)(increased by $1,000,000)''.

amendment no. 20 offered by mrs. kiggans of Virginia

Page 4, line 13, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $1,000,000)(increased by $1,000,000)''.

amendment no. 22 offered by mr. moylan of Guam

Page 30, line 9, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.

amendment no. 23 offered by mr. ogles of Tennessee

Page 31, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.

amendment no. 24 offered by mr. ogles of Tennessee

Page 37, line 3, after the first dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.

amendment no. 26 offered by mr. ogles of Tennessee

Page 44, line 12, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 27 Offered by Mr. Ogles of Tennessee

Page 28, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert
``(decreased by $1,000,000)(increased by $1,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 29 Offered by Mr. Schweikert of Arizona

Page 39, line 10, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 30 Offered by Mr. Schweikert of Arizona

Page 31, line 17, after the first dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.

{time} 1300

We must ensure that no veteran has to choose between their religion
and their health.
Finally, my third amendment will encourage continued funding for the
Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program,
which has delivered millions in grants for mental health services to
help prevent veteran suicide. Without additional funding, this critical
program will expire later this year. We cannot and must not let that
happen.
After sacrificing so much, our great veterans should never struggle
to get the care, recognition, and respect they have rightfully earned.
That is why I strongly urge my colleagues to support the en bloc
package.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman
from Guam (Mr. Moylan).
Mr. MOYLAN. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of my
amendment urging the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop a
comprehensive plan to relocate the VA regional office from Manila to
Guam.
Guam is home to one of the highest per capita populations of veterans
in the United States, but our role doesn't stop there. We serve as a
critical hub for veterans across the western Pacific, from the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to the Freely Associated
States. Yet, despite this regional responsibility, Guam still lacks a
full-service VA regional office.
Today, veterans throughout our region are forced to rely on remote
services or travel thousands of miles to Honolulu, more than 3,800
miles away, just to meet with a benefits counselor or resolve a claim.
That is not just inconvenient. It is unjust, and it is unacceptable.
My amendment seeks to change that. It would direct the VA to develop
a plan within 1 year for transitioning its regional office from Manila
to Guam. This isn't about turning off the lights in the Philippines
overnight. It is about creating a deliberate, responsible roadmap that
ensures veterans in the western Pacific and the Philippines continue to
receive care while aligning the VA's footprint with our evolving
strategic reality.
The men and women who sacrificed for our country did not do so with
an expiration date on their service. Our commitment to them must be
equally enduring. We have a duty to ensure they are not forgotten or
left behind.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the
gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Goodlander), who is a new Member
and a veteran of our Armed Forces.
Ms. GOODLANDER. Mr. Chair, I thank Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz
for her leadership.
Mr. Chair, I rise today on behalf of the 88,000 brave American
heroes, veterans, who call the State of New Hampshire home.
We owe a sacred obligation to the women and men who served our
country in uniform. We have got to make sure that they receive the
high-quality healthcare they have earned.
There are 48 States here in the continental United States, and my
home State of New Hampshire is the only one without a full-service VA
hospital. My amendment before the House today would change that. It
will ensure the Trump administration follows through on its promise to
expand services to support a full-service VA medical center in New
Hampshire.
It is past time that we right this wrong and fill this gap.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues here in Congress to support my
amendment which will do just that.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman
from Colorado (Ms. Boebert).
Ms. BOEBERT. Mr. Chair, I rise today with deep respect and unwavering
gratitude for the brave men and women who have worn the uniform of the
United States of America. My support for the members of our military
does not end when their service is complete, and I will always take
steps to ensure that our Nation's veterans and their families receive
the benefits that they were promised and are owed.

[[Page H2953]]

My amendments included in this package today ensure our Nation keeps
its sacred promise to those who have served our great country.
From providing additional funding for the construction of new State
extended care facilities to increasing funds for medical and prosthetic
research, and from reducing the backlog at the Board of Veterans'
Appeals to providing burial services and benefits for veterans in rural
areas lacking a VA national cemetery, my amendments will directly
improve the quality of life for veterans throughout Colorado and
America.
This bill makes good on President Trump's promises that he made to
our veterans. It mirrors his executive orders on no funds for DEI and
on radical transgender surgeries while also supporting the President's
efforts to combat veteran homelessness through investment in the new
Bridging Rental Assistance For Veteran Empowerment program.
This bill protects the Second Amendment rights of veterans by
preventing the VA from sending information to the Federal Bureau of
Investigation about veterans without a judge's consent.
It also prohibits the VA from processing medical care claims for
illegal aliens.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bipartisan
en bloc and for this critical piece of legislation. Our veterans are
the living embodiment of duty, honor, and sacrifice. They have stood on
the front lines for our freedom, and this bill is a great opportunity
to now stand for them.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my
time.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I do not have any additional
speakers, and I also yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIR. The question is on the amendments en bloc offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter).
The en bloc amendments were agreed to.

Amendments En Bloc No. 2 Offered by Mr. Carter of Texas

Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, pursuant to House Resolution 530,
I offer amendments en bloc as the designee of Chairman Cole.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendments en bloc.
Amendments en bloc No. 2 consisting of amendment Nos. 1, 14, 15, 19,
25, 28, and 32 printed in House Report 119-167, offered by Mr. Carter
of Texas:

Amendment No. 1 Offered by Mr. Arrington of Texas

Page 3, line 16, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $4,100,000)''.
Page 3, line 18, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $4,100,000)''.
Page 9, line 10, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $4,100,000)''.

Amendment No. 14 Offered by Mrs. Houchin of Indiana

Page 30, line 9, after the first dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $5,000,000)''.
Page 31, line 17, after the first dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $5,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 15 Offered by Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia

Page 12, line 5, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 19 Offered by Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia

Page 2, line 22, after the dollar amount, insert
``(decreased by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 25 Offered by Mr. Ogles of Tennessee

Page 33, line 3, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 28 Offered by Mr. Perry of Pennsylvania

Page 31, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $1,000,000) (reduced by $1,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 32 Offered by Mr. Shreve of Indiana

Page 5, line 15, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $55,000,000) (increased by $55,000,000)''.

The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 530, the gentleman from Texas
(Mr. Carter) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz)
each will control 10 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise in favor of the amendment.
It includes various priorities related to veterans' health care and
benefits and calls for improvements to our military bases.
Mr. Chairman, I urge its adoption, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Arrington).
Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Chairman, I thank my good friend from the great
State of Texas, ``the judge,'' as we call him back in the freest and
greatest State in the Union, for his leadership.
I have an amendment, Mr. Chair, and it is one I think all of my
colleagues would want to support.
In the last week, the world witnessed the might of America's
unparalleled air superiority and what a critical role our strategic
bombers and the men and women who pilot and maintain them play in
keeping our enemies, like Iran, in check.
For nearly 40 years, the B-1 has been the tip of the spear of
America's air superiority. The B-1 has served us well, but at a time
when our adversaries like China are making their own historic
investments in their own military, it is time we roll out America's
next generation warfighter.
That is why I rise in strong support of this amendment that would
direct a little over $4 million to enhance gate security at military
installations set to receive the B-21 Raider, including Dyess Air Force
Base in the key city of Abilene, Texas.
The B-21 Raider represents the most capable and lethal bomber this
world and this planet has ever known and seen. It is the future of our
long-range strike capability, designed to evade modern air defenses and
deliver both nuclear and conventional payloads across the globe.
Dyess, the base in Abilene, Texas, will soon become a key platform
for deploying this cutting-edge aircraft. We have a responsibility to
ensure that this investment in national defense is protected
accordingly.
Let's be clear: This is not a theoretical threat. In 2023 alone, U.S.
officials reported over 100 incidents of Chinese nationals attempting
to unlawfully access Department of Defense facilities.
The CHAIR. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 1 minute to the
gentleman from Texas.
Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Chair, in May of this year, two foreign nationals,
here illegally under President Biden's open-border crisis, attempted to
breach the Marine Corps base in Quantico in a box truck. These are not
isolated incidents, Mr. Chair. They are part of a disturbing trend that
put our installations, our technology, and, most importantly, our
servicemembers at risk.
This amendment is straightforward. It funds the necessary upgrades to
the gate infrastructure at bases like Dyess to comply with the
Department of Defense force protection standards. Reinforcing access
control preventing unauthorized entry is common sense. As I said, it is
straightforward, and it will help both our servicemembers, our air
arsenal, and our overall national security posture.
Mr. Chair, I thank the judge for his leadership, and I urge adoption
of this amendment.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the
amendment.
The CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Florida is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, this en bloc contains eight
amendments that will make this bill worse than it already is.
It includes a funding cut to the Veterans Benefits Administration,
further exacerbating the backlogs in processing disability compensation
claims, leading to long waits for veterans.
The Republican MILCON-VA bill already cuts the NATO Security
Investment Program by $188 million. This amendment would further cut it
by another $4.1 million. It is shocking that my Republican colleagues
would condone this, especially while they are offering amendments
encouraging the speedier processes of claims and lamenting the delays
in countless Republican speeches.
NATO infrastructure investment receives robust funding from our NATO

[[Page H2954]]

partners, but there is an illegal Russian war going on, so it would
seem that we need more investments in NATO infrastructure now more than
ever. Yet, this amendment would further cut into it.
The amendment also seeks to continue the Republican push to privatize
VA medical care. The bill already includes a 67 percent increase to
medical community care which is an increase without justification or
rationale. We received no backup information from the administration
whatsoever as to why they proposed this or why it is necessary because
it isn't. It is a simple additional attempt to march the VA toward
prioritization and away from what we know veterans want.
The amendment promotes untested and dangerous medical treatment for
our veterans. It makes a bad bill even worse.
Mr. Chair, I encourage my colleagues to oppose this amendment, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I move the adoption of this en
bloc, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, this en bloc doesn't do a single
thing to improve this bill. In fact, it makes it worse. It cuts the
Veterans Benefits Administration. It discriminates against veterans and
doubles down on privatization of VA medical care.
Mr. Chair, I urge a ``no'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
The CHAIR. The question is on the amendments en bloc offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter).
The question was taken; and the Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on
the amendments en bloc offered by the gentleman from Texas will be
postponed.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I rise as the designee of the
gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), and I move to strike the
last word.
The CHAIR. The gentlewoman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, I yield to the gentlewoman from
Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), who is the distinguished ranking member of the
Energy and Water Development Subcommittee and the dean of women of the
House of Representatives.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman (Ms. Wasserman
Schultz) from the great State of Florida very much for yielding. She
certainly has educated us about Florida, among other things, and she is
a proud, proud ranking member on this bill.

{time} 1315

This bill punishes our veterans by pushing out professionals from the
Department of Veterans Affairs. It promotes premature retirements, and
it paves the way for private equity takeovers, leaving care delayed,
denied, and diminished.
For this reason, at the appropriate time I will offer a motion to
recommit this bill back to committee. If the House rules permitted, I
would have offered the motion with an important amendment to this bill.
My amendment would mandate metrics requiring a report on veteran
employee separations, deferred resignations, early retirements, and
contractor-driven cuts exposing employment erosion and salary
shortfalls of those who have served our Nation. Veterans deserve data
not desertion.
I will vote ``no'' on the military construction bill also because the
underlying bill underfunds our military construction accounts by nearly
$1 billion. This hurts our military readiness at a time when our
enemies like China choose to invest in themselves. I also can't support
a bill that paves the road to VA privatization. Perish that thought.
While I have the time, it is long overdue for the Department of
Veterans Affairs to approve the request from northwest Ohio to expedite
the dual affiliation of the University of Toledo Medical Center and the
VA Ann Arbor Health Care System. Our VA community clinic in Toledo
stands ready to support this effort, and over 83,000 veterans in the
northwest quadrant of Ohio deserve the convenience of access to the
State of Ohio's medical center and academic center at Toledo.
In Toledo, to level funding in this account will not allow us to grow
and fully support the needs of all of our veterans.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for the motion
to recommit, and I include in the Record the text of my amendment.

Ms. Kaptur moves to recommit the bill H.R. 3944 to the
Committee on Appropriations with the following amendment:
At the appropriate place, insert the following:

veterans firings accountability

Sec. ___. Not later than 15 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall transmit to the Committees on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives and the Senate a report detailing,
for calendar year 2025 and the comparable periods of time for
the last five calendar years, the number of veterans
separated from Federal service; the number of veterans
participating in a Deferred Resignation Program or who have
left Federal service under a Voluntary Early Retirement
Authority; and the number of veterans employed by contractors
or subcontractors performing work for the Federal government
who have seen their working hours, wages, or employment
reduced or terminated.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from
Puerto Rico (Mr. Hernandez).
Mr. HERNANDEZ. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of
Congresswoman Kiggans' amendment No. 79, which ensures sufficient VA
medical care for veterans in the U.S. territories, Commonwealths, and
Freely Associated States.
This amendment is critical for places like Puerto Rico where over
79,000 veterans reside on the island and have served our Nation with
honor and distinction. Yet far too often, they face unequal access to
the care they have earned, whether it is limited specialty services,
understaffed facilities, or long wait times for off-island referrals.
The same is true in Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa,
and the Northern Mariana Islands, as well as the Freely Associated
States in the Pacific. Veterans in these communities, no matter where
they live, should have access to quality medical care owed to them.
This amendment sends a clear message: Our commitment to veterans does
not stop at the mainland. It reinforces the principle that all who
served deserve timely, high-quality care, regardless of where they
live.
I thank the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Kiggans) for her
leadership, and I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.
Ms. WASSERMAN-SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from
Puerto Rico for his fierce advocacy of the veterans from Puerto Rico,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SHREVE. Mr. Chairman, as the designee of Chairman Cole, I move to
strike the last word.
The CHAIR. The gentleman from Indiana is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. SHREVE. Mr. Chair, my amendment provides $55 million to build a
new aviation maintenance hangar and operations building and renovate
the existing hangar space at our Shelbyville, Indiana, Army Aviation
Support Facility.
Mr. Chair, 900 Indiana guardsmen assigned to the 38th Combat Aviation
Brigade have supported 16 deployments since 2001, including to Iraq,
Kuwait, and Bosnia. Our Shelbyville facility remains a crown jewel of
Indiana and Midwest Army aviation.
This proud combat aviation unit has one of the oldest Army aviation
flight facilities in the National Guard. Built in 1972, it currently
supports 11 aircraft and more than 50 full-time personnel.
Upgrading the facility will save over 500 man-hours and prevent more
than $200,000 in annual damage to blades and equipment. A new facility
supports rapid homeland response and will sustain recruitment and
retention of Indiana's finest soldiers. This amendment serves to equip
our next generation of guardsmen to protect our homeland both at home
and abroad.
I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the
balance of my time.

Amendment No. 8 Offered by Mr. Correa

The CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 8 printed in
House Report 119-167.
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

[[Page H2955]]

The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

Page 35, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert the
following: ``(increased by $1,000,000) (reduced by
$1,000,000)''.

The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 530, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Correa) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of amendment No. 8
directing the Department of Veterans Affairs to make recommendations on
changes that are needed to its existing healthcare infrastructure so
veterans can receive psychedelic-assisted therapies upon FDA approval.
In December of 2024, the VA announced $1.5 million in funding for
clinical research on MDMA-assisted therapy for veterans with PTSD and
alcohol disorder, as well.
This is the first time the VA has funded research on psychedelic
compounds since the 1960s.
My fellow Psychedelics Advancing Therapies Caucus co-chair, General
Jack Bergman, and I are encouraged by the promising results so far that
we have seen in treating veterans with PTSD and other disorders.
However, these therapies are different from traditional therapies in
many ways. Psychedelic therapies involve hours-long sessions with
multiple therapists, additional safety issues, and special training
considerations for providers.
We introduced this amendment because we need to be ready and be
proactive to make sure that when the VA is ready to administer these
therapies they actually can.
While MDMA-assisted therapy did not receive FDA approval last summer,
approval of certain psychedelic therapies will likely come very soon.
We owe it to our veterans to make sure that they can access these
therapies upon approval.
Every day we lose nearly 20 veterans to suicide. One suicide is way
too many. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment to make sure
that our veterans have the best care they need as soon as possible.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BERGMAN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition, although I am not
opposed to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Fine). Without objection, the gentleman from
Michigan is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. BERGMAN. Mr. Chairman, I thank my dear friend and fellow PATH
Caucus co-chair, Congressman Correa, for his work on this amendment.
Washington, D.C., has built its success on good partnerships,
especially across the aisle, on issues that benefit all of our
Americans, not just a few.
I rise in strong support of this amendment, which directs the
Veterans Administration to begin preparing for the rollout of
breakthrough treatments for veterans battling PTSD, depression, and
substance abuse disorders.
President Trump's first administration took a bold and necessary step
by granting breakthrough therapy status to MDMA and psilocybin
acknowledging their potential to transform mental health care.
Last December, the VA followed suit funding its first psychedelic-
assisted therapy study in over 60 years. That was a critical milestone,
but research alone is not enough.
Without a plan to turn findings into frontline care, we risk failing
the very people this research is meant to help: our veterans.
We know the stakes. Too many servicemembers come home bearing
invisible wounds. While traditional treatments work for some, far too
many are left cycling through ineffective medications, suffering in
silence, or worse, giving up entirely.
Emerging VA studies involving MDMA and psilocybin show remarkable
potential not just for improvement but for truly lasting healing. They
offer hope, but hope alone doesn't heal.
Washington has a bad habit of funding studies without ever building
the systems needed to implement the results. We cannot afford to repeat
that cycle here.
This amendment sends a clear message to the VA: Don't just study.
Prepare. Prepare to implement new therapies and newfound ways to
improve the lives of veterans now, not 5 or 10 years from now.
That means identifying the clinical infrastructure needed to deliver
these treatments, training and certifying providers, and launching
pilot programs to bring these therapies from the lab into real world
care settings. Again, we can't wait 5 or 10 years while veterans
continue to suffer.
Every day we delay is a day someone loses hope or their life.
If there is a treatment that works, we have a responsibility to be
ready to deliver it. This isn't about politics. It is about promises
kept. We owe our veterans more than research. We owe them results. We
owe them implementation. This amendment moves us one step closer to
delivering.
I urge all of my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Correa).
The amendment was agreed to.
The Acting CHAIR. The Chair understands that amendment No. 13 will
not be offered.

Amendment No. 21 Offered by Mr. Joyce of Ohio

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 21
printed in House Report 119-167.
Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, as the designee of Mr. Mast, I have an
amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title) insert the
following:

SEC. XXX. NONE OF THE FUNDS APPROPRIATED OR OTHERWISE MADE
AVAILABLE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
IN THIS ACT MAY BE USED TO ENFORCE VETERANS
HEALTH DIRECTIVE 1315 AS IT RELATES TO--

(1) the policy stating that ``VHA providers are prohibited
from completing forms or registering Veterans for
participation in a State-approved marijuana program'':
(2) the directive for the ``Deputy Under Secretary for
Health for Operations and Management'' to ensure that
``medical facility Directors are aware that it is VHA policy
for providers to assess Veteran use of marijuana but
providers are prohibited from recommending, making referrals
to or completing paperwork for Veteran participation in State
marijuana programs''; and
(3) the directive for the ``VA Medical Facility Director''
to ensure that ``VA facility staff are aware of the
following'' ``[t]he prohibition recommending, making
referrals to or completing forms and registering Veterans for
participation in State- approved marijuana programs''.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 530, the gentleman
from Ohio (Mr. Joyce) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio.
Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Mast), the true sponsor of this amendment who has just
arrived to state his position.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Chair, I am here to speak on my amendment No. 21. This
is something that we have dealt with here in Congress before.
Specifically it relates to veterans' access to cannabis.
The story that I will tell in advance of this is simply this: I woke
up in Walter Reed Army Medical Center not too far from here a number of
years ago, and when I woke up, I was missing two legs and a finger. I
had been out of consciousness for a week plus.
What I woke up to was being on a laundry list of medications. I had
an epidural. I had oral morphines and oxies. I had antidepressants,
anti-inflammatories, and heavy sleep sedatives. I had a Dilaudid drip
and a number of other things that I can't even remember at this point
all at once. I had never been on any of these things before in my life.
Immediately, as soon as I woke up, I started to wean myself off of
these drugs because I was saying to myself: I might be very
uncomfortable, but I don't want to be dependent on sleep sedatives. I
might be in a lot of pain, but let's start by getting off of this
painkiller and this painkiller and this painkiller. I am not depressed,
so take this antidepressant away.
These narcotics were beyond painful to come off of. I was down to the
lowest amount after about 6 months of the last narcotic, which was an
oral morphine. Going from the lowest amount twice a day 6 a.m. and 6
p.m. to nothing, I spent the next several months

[[Page H2956]]

miserable, suffering the gamut of withdraw symptoms: irritability to
say the least, food going through me, up all night. You name it. That
was just after 6 months.
The state that these narcotics, in many cases, leave our veterans in
are, at the most extreme end of it, states of suicide and, at the other
end of it, just extreme states of dissatisfaction and lacking purpose
in life. In some cases it does leave them in a better condition.
The point I am making with this true story is that veterans need to
have options outside of these narcotics.

{time} 1330

In many States, there are legal cannabis medical programs. They need
to have the ability when they are being seen by their primary care
physician inside of the VA to have discussions about whether cannabis
is or is not right for them. They have access to it in their State.
They need to be able to talk to their medical provider about what they
fill out on the paperwork, what the right dosage amount is, how that is
going to interact with any other medications that they might be on, and
how it might affect their blood pressure or other things going on with
them personally.
If we are not giving that option to have that conversation at the
most serious level without worrying about some kind of reprisal for the
doctor or otherwise, then we are doing our veterans a disservice in,
certainly, at minimum, all of these States where there are legal
cannabis programs.
I am not a doctor. I would not purport to know when this is a good
treatment for somebody, when it is not, or the amounts that they should
take. Yet, I know that as long as it is available in these various
States, their doctors need to have the opportunity to discuss that
treatment with them. The fact of the matter is, while I have heard of
many of my brothers- and sisters-in-arms being in a state of suicide
because of the narcotics they have been on, I have yet to hear about
any of them attributing a state of suicide to the cannabis that they
have had as a part of their life.
Mr. Chairman, I ask for support on amendment No. 21.
Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chairman, what else can I say after hearing
the true story of a true American hero and why it should be important
for all people--Floridians, every veteran--to be able to access
cannabis if, in fact, it is necessary and prescribed by a doctor and if
it helps them treat whatever they have come home with?
My father was wounded and left for dead in World War II, and he came
home. I know what it takes for these people and the hurt that they have
gone through on behalf of our country. They deserve every option
available to bring them back to what they were before they left on our
behalf.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Joyce).
The amendment was agreed to.
The Acting CHAIR. The Chair understands that amendment No. 31 will
not be offered.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now
rise.
The motion was agreed to.
Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr.
Alford) having assumed the chair, Mr. Fine, Acting Chair of the
Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, reported that
that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3944)
making appropriations for military construction, the Department of
Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2026, and for other purposes, had come to no resolution
thereon.

____________________