House passes funding bill to fix Veteran Affairs' $3 billion shortfall

The House of Representatives on Wednesday night passed a funding bill that would help fix the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) $3 billion cash flow shortage, and hopes the Senate will do so by the end of the week.

The legislation received bipartisan support in the House, and is expected to be taken up by the Senate on Friday, according to The Hill. The VA said the cash flow problem stems from the 2022 PACT Act, which led to an increase in enrollments for the VA's healthcare system, appointments, and applications. 

The VA is asking Congress to supply nearly $3 billion in mandatory benefit funds for the current fiscal year, and for an additional $12 billion for fiscal year 2025. 

“We’re all in agreement on the four corners to move it as quickly as possible,” House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chair Mike Bost said, referring to the top Republicans and Democrats on the House and Senate VA committees. “We’re gonna have enough votes to get it through both the House and the Senate, onto the president’s desk, and nobody’s gonna lose their pay."

The bill comes after the department warned Congress that the shortfall could cause a delay in pensions and compensation if no funding is approved by Sept. 20.

The House bill as it stands would supply nearly $3 billion to the VA, $2.3 billion of which would go to the Veterans Benefits Administration to pay for the pensions and compensation. The other $597 million would be for readjustment benefits.

Senate Republicans have indicated support for sending the VA additional money if there is accountability for the spending issue, but Arkansas Sen. John Boozman on Tuesday said he hopes the House bill will pass in the Senate by unanimous consent.

“My hope would be that they send it over here and we do it by unanimous consent,” Boozman told the outlet. “If not, then we need to take whatever time, starting immediately, to get it [passed].”

Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul said he would support a vote on the House bill, but would want to include an amendment to help offset the costs of the bill. 

"There’s an enormous problem going on. This is what happens when you create a bill and say, if you have high blood pressure, you can get burn pit money," Paul said on Wednesday. “I’m 61 years old. Sixty percent of 60-year-olds have high blood pressure. You know, there isn’t a real direct causation between high blood pressure and burn pits, but if you take every 60-year-old veteran and say, if you have high blood pressure, we’re going to give you a disability, that’s what’s happened. Millions of people have signed up, and they just depleted all the funds."

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.