House Appropriations Committee Advances FY27 Military Construction and VA Funding Bill, Including Alford Priorities

Today, Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04), the Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, issued the following statement after the House Appropriations Committee passed the Fiscal Year 2027 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (FY27 MilCon-VA) funding bill.

"Appropriations season is underway, and we hit the ground running for FY2027 by fully funding veterans' programs and health care," said Congressman Alford. "This Military Construction and VA bill delivers the benefits our veterans have earned, protects their Second Amendment rights, expands Community Care, and boosts mental health and suicide prevention. At the same time, we're making smart investments in military construction to deter Communist China and building the infrastructure needed for advanced systems like the B-21 Raider, which is coming soon to Whiteman AFB. I'm proud to help advance this critical bill."

Fourth District priorities secured in the FY27 MilCon-VA bill include provisions to:

• Increase transparency for fees paid to attorneys and consultants to help with VA claims and appeals to ensure our veterans and taxpayers are not being ripped off.
• Increase funding for the Toxic Exposures Fund to $54.6 billion, while ensuring previous appropriations to the fund remain available until expended.
• Enhance the VAs utilization of technology, modernize its IT, and encourage adoption of AI to expedite Veterans' claims and processing, improve data security, and expand access to care.
• Instruct the Army to evaluate all buildings built before 1950 for safety, mission readiness, and needs related to improving these facilities. This would include the outdated Central Issuing Facility at Fort Leonard Wood.

Background on the FY27 MilCon-VA Appropriations bill:

Veterans Support & Services

• Fully funds veterans' health care programs.
• Fully funds veterans' benefits.
• Maintains funding for:
  • Veterans research programs
  • Mental health services
  • Other core support programs relied upon by veterans
• Invests over $2 billion in:
  • Capital improvements for VA medical facilities
  • Four national cemeteries

Veterans Policy & Administration Priorities

• Protects Second Amendment rights of veterans by:
  • Preventing the VA from submitting veteran information to the FBI without judicial consent
• Fully funds the Community Care account, expanding access to:
  • Specialty care
  • Non-VA providers based on individual needs
• Supports efforts to:
  • Improve veteran mental health outcomes
  • Strengthen suicide prevention initiatives

National Security & Military Construction

• Provides robust funding for military construction, including:
  • Infrastructure supporting advanced weapons systems
  • Strategic investments in the Indo-Pacific region
• Maintains prohibitions on:
  • Closure of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
  • Use of military construction funds to house detainees on U.S. soil

China & Supply Chain Protections

• Prohibits the VA from:
  • Purchasing goods or services directly from Communist China
  • Indirect procurement linked to Chinese sources

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