Senate Votes to Advance FY 2026 MilCon-VA Appropriations Bill
Bill advanced by a procedural vote of 90-8
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Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Appropriations Committee, delivered remarks on the Senate floor ahead of the Senate’s 90-8 procedural vote to advance the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MilCon-VA) Appropriations Act. This bipartisan bill advanced out of the Committee last week by a vote of 26-3.
A transcript of Senator Collins’ remarks are as follows:
“Madam President, today the Senate has the opportunity to begin consideration of an appropriations bill that is vital to those now serving in our military, as well as those who have served, our veterans. I urge my colleagues to support cloture on the motion to proceed to the Fiscal Year 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations bill when we vote this afternoon.
“Madam President, this bill addresses key military infrastructure needs, including housing improvements for military families, and it takes care of our nation's veterans to whom we owe an enormous debt, a debt that can never be fully repaid.
“I am the daughter of a World War II veteran who was wounded twice in the Battle of the Bulge, earning two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star. I know from my father's service and from his example how deep our gratitude should be to our veterans.
“I want to commend the subcommittee chairman, Senator Boozman, and the ranking members, Senator Ossoff, for their cooperative work on this important bill.
“In a moment, I will describe some of the major aspects of this appropriations bill, but first, I would like to share a few thoughts on how we have arrived at this point.
“When Vice Chair Murray and I took the helm of the Appropriations Committee last Congress, we committed to working together to get our Committee back to the business of writing bills and advancing them through regular order so that each and every Senator could have a voice on the Senate floor, offering amendments, debating the bills and voting on them. This is a fundamental responsibility of Congress, and I want to express my gratitude to the Senate Majority Leader, Senator Thune, for giving us the opportunity to bring the first of the fiscal year 2026 appropriations bills to the Senate floor.
“I would note, Madam President, that this is something that did not happen last year under Democratic control of the Senate, despite our Appropriations Committee working so hard and reporting 11 of the 12 fiscal year 2025 appropriations bills, but not a single one was brought to the Senate floor by the Democratic Leader.
“Now, there is no doubt that this is a challenging legislative environment. We are currently operating under a year-long continuing resolution. The delays in completing the fiscal year 2025 process and the fact that we're in the first year of a new administration contributed to a late and incomplete budget request from OMB.
“In the face of these challenges, the members of the Appropriations Committee have worked so hard for months, analyzing the President's Budget Request, holding dozens of hearings, reviewing the enormous number of requests and input from other Senators, getting input from outside groups that were affected, and drafting legislation.
“So far, our Committee has reported four of the 12 annual appropriations bills, and we have another two on the agenda for this Thursday.
“Madam President, I would point out to the presiding officer and to everyone who is listening that each of these bills reported to date has been approved by overwhelming bipartisan support, reflecting the collaborative approach taken by the Appropriations Committee.
“Turning now to the bill at hand, last week our Committee reported by a vote of 26-3, the House-passed Military Construction and Veterans Affairs funding bill with the Senate substitute amendment.
“The Senate version includes vital resources to support our servicemembers. It also invests in critical military infrastructure.
“For example, it includes funding for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, a pillar of our defense infrastructure that maintains and modernizes our Navy's submarine fleet. It invests in the Air National Guard's Air Refueling Wing in Bangor Maine, known as the MAINEiacs, which delivers essential aerial refueling support to military operations around the globe. These are just two of the many examples of how this bill helps to sustain key defense installations in Maine and across the country.
“The bill also includes funding to ensure that our veterans receive the care and the benefits that they have earned through their service to our country. Millions of Americans wear the honorable title of veteran, and I'm proud that our great State of Maine has one of the highest percentages of veterans in the entire country.
“This bill includes funding for the VA health care system, including Maine's only VA Hospital, Togus. It includes investments to improve mental health care, such as veteran suicide and homelessness prevention programs. It includes support for family caregivers, something that former Senator Elizabeth Dole has worked so hard on. And it expands care for rural veterans.
“Madam President, I'm also proud that my hometown of Caribou, Maine, was the location of the VA’s very first Community Based Outpatient Clinic, known as CBOCs, allowing veterans to receive care much closer to their homes. This model was so successful that today the VA operates more than 750 of these CBOCs across the country.
“The Senate measure also funds important veterans’ benefits such as disability pensions, the GI Bill, and employment training programs.
“I note for my colleagues that the Senate substitute amendment was put together with input from 89 senators who submitted a total of 989 requests. I see my colleague, the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, on the Senate floor. I'm sure he can relate to these numbers. My point, Madam President, is this is not a bill that simply reflects the views of the members of the Appropriations Committee. The members of this Committee went through 989 requests from 89 senators in drafting this legislation. So, it clearly reflects the input of our colleagues – just as it should.
“Before I close, I would like to thank Vice Chair Murray for her leadership and commitment to an appropriations process that works.
“I am hopeful that cloture will be invoked today to allow us to proceed to consideration of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs funding bill. Discussions are underway on whether to add to this vehicle the Legislative Branch Appropriations bill, which was approved with only one dissenting vote, and the Agriculture, FDA, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, which received unanimous support when our Committee reported those bills earlier this month. I will have comments on those other bills at a later time. Another possible addition is the Commerce, Justice, Science bill, which was also reported last week from our Committee.
“Finally, I would note that the responsibility of the purse is vested in Congress through Article I, Section 9, Clause 7 of our great Constitution. That clause dictates that:
‘No money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.’
“The appropriations process is the key way that Congress carries out this significant constitutional responsibility.
“We must not abdicate our constitutional responsibility for the purse. I ask my colleagues for their support, and I thank you and yield the floor.”
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