The House on Tuesday is set to consider legislation that would fill a nearly $3 billion gap in veterans benefits ahead of a Sept. 20 deadline.
Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., introduced the supplemental appropriations bill last week with top GOP leaders on the Appropriations Committee and House Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mike Bost, R-Ill. It will be considered under suspension of the rules, an expedited procedure requiring a two-thirds majority of lawmakers present and voting to pass.
The Department of Veterans Affairs said up to 7 million veterans and their beneficiaries were at risk of missing their Oct. 1 benefits if Congress did not act. A 2022 law that expanded eligibility for veterans exposed to toxins overseas led to an influx of demand and the funding gap, the VA has said.
