Some heavy hitters on both sides of the aisle in the Senate filed legislation on Monday to provide the Department of Veterans Affairs with the supplemental appropriations the agency says it needs by Sept. 20 in order ensure millions of veterans don’t see delayed benefit payments.
Sen. Sherrod Brown along with the top Senate appropriators and authorizers on veterans issues, introduced a bill that would provide the agency with an extra $2.9 billion. Most of the money would go to compensation and pensions, with $597 million going toward readjustment benefits, which help veterans and their families transition to civilian life.
The VA reported the shortfall to Congress in mid-July, and said an additional $12 billion is needed in discretionary accounts for fiscal 2025 medical care, on top of what was provided in the March appropriations package and the fiscal 2025 House and Senate Military Construction-VA appropriations bills.
