NEWS
House Appropriations Committee
Chairman Hal Rogers
House Passes Fiscal Year 2016 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Legislation
Bill will fund programs for our troops, military families, veterans and defense infrastructure
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On a bipartisan basis, the U.S. House today approved the fiscal year 2016 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill (H.R. 2029) on a vote of 255-163.
The legislation contains funding to house, train, and equip military personnel, provide housing and services to military families, and help maintain base infrastructure. The bill also funds veterans’ benefits and programs.
In total, the bill provides $76.6 billion in discretionary funding – $4.6 billion above the fiscal year 2015 level. This represents a 5.6 percent increase over the fiscal year 2015 level for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) – including increases for health care, benefit claims processing, the Board of Veterans Appeals, medical and prosthetic research, and information technology. Of this funding, $58.7 billion was provided in the fiscal year 2015 appropriations bill. Military construction is increased by $904 million over the fiscal year 2015 enacted level, which allows for full funding of family housing, construction of hospitals and health facilities, and support for critical overseas investments.
Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers made the following statement on the legislation today:
“The FY 2016 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill provides discretionary funding for important veterans benefits and services, and for the infrastructure that supports the brave men and women serving in our Armed Forces and their families,” Chairman Rogers said. “In all, this bill totals $4.6 billion above last year – a demonstration of our commitment to our warfighters, our veterans, and their loved ones, who have sacrificed so much to protect this great nation.”
“This is the first bill of the Appropriations process, and I am pleased that we are off to such an early start – the earliest start since at least 1974 – continuing our good work from last year. I am optimistic that we will have a successful appropriations year, finishing on time and under regular order,” Chairman Rogers added.
For a list of amendments adopted to the bill on the House floor, please visit:
For the text of the bill, please visit:
https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/hr2029/BILLS-114hr2029rh.pdf
For the bill report, please visit:
https://www.congress.gov/114/crpt/hrpt92/CRPT-114hrpt92.pdf
For a bill summary, please visit:
http://appropriations.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=394141
