Silver State Times

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03), a member of the House Appropriations Committee and the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies, slammed Republican efforts to cut funding for critical military construction and insert partisan changes to existing law, known as “riders,” that would restrict funding for veterans’ services. 

“I rise today in opposition to this absurd, extreme grab bag of an amendment. In order to achieve some ideological wins, they are trading a $200 million cut in military construction,” said Congresswoman Lee. “I find this amendment hard to stomach, especially when we might otherwise work together in a manner that Milcon-VA has done for years and years. When I go back to Las Vegas and talk to servicemembers and veterans, they want to know about what we’re doing for reliable, affordable housing. They want to know how we’re going to improve medical care, especially access to mental health care.... But instead, with this amendment, my colleagues on the right are taking this committee on a wild goose chase, prioritizing political talking points over caring for our veterans.”

Key provisions of the bill as passed by the full committee:  

Department of Defense – The bill provides $17.5 billion for Military Construction, which is $1.5 billion below the 2023 level and $200 million below the level marked up in subcommittee. 

• The bill provides $539 billion for the Department of Defense Base Closure Account (BRAC), which is a cut of $35.5 million compared to the current level and does not include dedicated funding for PFAS remediation and cleanup. 
• The bill does not include additional, dedicated funding for military installation climate change and resilience projects, which is a cut of $90 million from the current level. 
• The bill provides $30 million above the budget request in dedicated funding for the oversight of housing, including over the privatized housing providers, secured by Ranking Member Wasserman Schultz in the Managers’ amendment. 

Department of Veterans Affairs – The bill provides $121 billion for the four medical care accounts. Combined with the $17.1 billion provided for medical care through the Toxic Exposures Fund in the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (P.L. 118–5), a total of $138 billion is available for medical care in 2024, equal to the budget request.  

• The bill further provides $112.6 billion in advance appropriations for medical care. Combined with the $21.5 billion provided in advance for 2025 for medical care through the Toxic Exposures Fund in the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, a total of $134 billion will be available for medical care in 2025, equal to the budget request.  

The bill includes partisan riders: 

• Prohibits the use of funds to teach or promote Critical Race Theory. 
• Prohibits the use of funds to implement executive orders related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. 
• Prohibits the use of funds for diversity, equity, and inclusion training or implementation. 
• Prohibits the use of funds to carry out the closure or realignment of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay or to house detainees at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. 
• Prohibits VA from implementing the interim final rule on abortions with limited exceptions. 
• Limits the ability to fly flags at VA facilities, aiming to eliminate the use of Pride flags. 
• Prohibits surgical procedures or hormone therapies for gender-affirming care.  
• Prohibits the use of funds to discriminate against people who have the religious belief that marriage should be between a man and a woman.  

Original source can be found here.