Minority News Releases
Currently showing results related to Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Leahy (D-Vt.) Releases Conference Agreement Summary For “Minibus I”
WASHINGTON (MONDAY, Sept. 10, 2018) - Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Monday released a summary compiled by the Senate Appropriations Committee Minority staff of the conference agreement for the Energy & Water Development, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies, and Legislative Branch "minibus" appropriations bill. The package includes $146.57 billion in discretionary spending and must now be passed by Congress and signed into law… Continue Reading
09.10.18
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Washington, D.C. - The conference agreement includes $98.058 billion in total discretionary budget authority for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Related Agencies, $5.3 billion more than the fiscal year 2018 enacted level and $1 billion more than the President's budget request. This includes, $10.332 billion in defense spending for military construction, $86.8 billion in non-defense funding, and $921.4 million for Overseas Contingency Operations. For defense s… Continue Reading
09.05.18
Statement of Vice Chairman Leahy (D-Vt.) On The Conference Meeting For The "Minibus I" Appropriations Bill
I am pleased to be here for the first conference of the FY 2019 Appropriations season. The "minibus" before us contains three important appropriations bills. This minibus provides important resources for the support and care of our Nation's veterans, and it makes critical investments in our country's water infrastructure and energy programs. It also provides support to numerous agencies under the umbrella of the Legislative Branch. We have made a lot of progress toward an agreement that wil… Continue Reading
07.12.18
“Minibus” Conference Committee Delayed
WASHINGTON (THURSDAY, July 12, 2018) - Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Thursday expressed disappointment following the delay of the first Appropriations Conference Committee Meeting of the fiscal year 2019 appropriations process. Leahy is hopeful the meeting will be rescheduled and intends to offer an amendment that would facilitate funding for the VA Choice program, which was transferred only recently to the discretionary side of the budget as part of the… Continue Reading
06.25.18
Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Leahy On Passage Of The FY 2019 "Minibus" Appropriations Bill
Today we are voting on final passage of the first package of Senate appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2019. This "minibus" contains three appropriations bills - the Energy and Water Appropriations bill, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill, and the Legislative Branch Appropriations bill. Chairman Shelby and I, working closely with Senator McConnell and Senator Schumer, have committed to getting the appropriations process back on track. Our strategy has been t… Continue Reading
06.07.18
Statement Of Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On the FY 2019 THUD Appropriations Bill and MilCon VA Appropriations Bill
The Committee has two bills before it today-the FY 2019 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Bill, and the FY 2019 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Bill. Both are the product of hard work and bipartisan cooperation by each of the subcommittees, and I urge members to support them. First, I want to thank Chairman Collins and Ranking Member Reed for producing a good, bipartisan bill free of poison pill riders. The Transportation, Ho… Continue Reading
06.06.18
Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) REAX To Trump Administration Opposing New Funding For The VA MISSION Act
We do our veterans no favors by promising care without backing it up with resources, and the administration saying that providing new funding to care for our veterans is "anathema to responsible spending" is shameful. Signing a bill then opposing the resources to fund it is no different than writing a rubber check. If the bill the President is signing is important to veterans - I believe that it is, and even the President will say that it is - then it needs to be funded to make it real. To tr… Continue Reading
06.05.18
SUMMARY -- FY2019 MilCon-VA Appropriations Bill Approved by Senate Appropriations Subcommittee
Washington, D.C. -The U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs approved fiscal year 2019 funding legislation that provides $207.1 billion in total funding, including $98 billion in discretionary funding, $5.3 billion more than fiscal year 2018 enacted and $956.7 million more than the President's budget request level. In addition to the fiscal year 2019 funding, the bill provides $75.6 billion in fiscal year 2020 advance funding for veterans health c… Continue Reading
11.15.17
Appropriations Vice Chairman Leahy Statement At Hearing On VA Efforts To Prevent And Combat Opioid Over Medication
The opioid epidemic has reached every state - every community - in the country. It is impacting sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, friends and coworkers. And it is impacting our veterans and servicemembers. We have for over 16 years of war asked members of the active and reserve components to serve an unprecedented numbers of deployments, leaving too many veterans broken and in pain. When we needed these brave men and women to return to battle, it was too easy to prescribe opioids for … Continue Reading
07.13.17
SUMMARY: MilCon-VA Appropriations Bill Approved by Senate Appropriations Committee
WASHINGTON (THURSDAY, July 13, 2017) - The fiscal year 2018 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill provides $192.8 billion in total funding, including $88.9 billion in discretionary funding, $6 billion more than fiscal year 2017 enacted and $568 million less than the President's budget request. Mandatory funding, which is provided for veterans' compensation, pension and education benefits, totals $103.9 billion, $1.4 billion more than fiscal year 2017 en… Continue Reading
07.13.17
Leahy Statement On the FY 2018 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill
Good Morning Chairman Cochran and members of the Committee. I am pleased to be here and look forward to my first Appropriations Committee markup as Vice Chairman. I am particularly pleased to be sitting next to my good friend from Mississippi, Thad Cochran. He and I have been friends for many years, and I look forward to working with him this year to move these bills forward in a bipartisan manner, which has been a hallmark of this Committee. Chairman Cochran and I are both committed to ret… Continue Reading
07.12.17
MilCon-VA Appropriations Bill Approved by Senate Subcommittee
WASHINGTON (WEDNESDAY, July 12, 2017) - The fiscal year 2018 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill provides $192.8 billion in total funding, including $88.9 billion in discretionary funding, $6 billion more than fiscal year 2017 enacted and $568 million less than the President's budget request. Mandatory funding, which is provided for veterans compensation, pension and education benefits, totals $103.9 billion, $1.4 billion more than fiscal year 2017 en… Continue Reading
06.28.16
Vice Chairwoman Mikulski Statement on Republican VA-Military Construction and Zika Conference Report Cloture Vote
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Vice Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, submitted the following statement for the record before the vote to end debate on the Republican conference report for the fiscal year 2017 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill and Zika virus supplemental funding.
The following is Vice Chairwoman Mikulski’s statement for the record:
Continue Reading06.22.16
Vice Chairwoman Mikulski Statement on Republican Conference Agreement
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Vice Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement in response to the Republican conference agreement for the fiscal year 2017 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill and Zika virus supplemental funding:
Continue Reading06.15.16
Mikulski Statement at Military Construction-Veterans Affairs and Zika Conference Meeting
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Vice Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, participated in the first meeting of the Senate and House conference on the fiscal year 2017 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, H.R. 2577. The bill also includes Zika virus emergency funding.
The following are Vice Chairwoman Mikulski’s remarks, as prepared for delivery:
Continue Reading06.08.16
Mikulski Floor Statement on Reed-Mikulski Amendment
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Vice Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the Senate floor about the Reed-Mikulski amendment to keep parity between defense and non-defense spending.
The following are Vice Chairwoman Mikulski’s remarks, as prepared for delivery:
Continue Reading05.19.16
Vice Chairwoman Mikulski Statement on the FY17 THUD & Military Construction-VA Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Vice Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, submitted a statement for the record on the fiscal year 2017 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. Subsequently, the Senate passed the bill 89-8.
Vice Chairwoman Mikulski’s statement follows:
Continue Reading04.14.16
FY17 Military Construction & VA Full Committee Markup Bill Summary
Washington, D.C. – Today the U.S. Senate Appropriations Full Committee ordered reported the fiscal year 2017 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, which provides $83 billion in discretionary funding, $3.2 billion above the fiscal year 2016 enacted level.
In addition to discretionary funding, the bill provides $102.5 billion in mandatory compensation and pension funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The bill also provides $66.4 billion in fiscal year 2018 advance funding for veterans health care and $103.9 billion for fiscal year 2018 advance funding for the VA’s compensation and pensions mandatory accounts.
Continue Reading04.14.16
Mikulski Statement at First Full Committee Markup of Fiscal Year 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Vice Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, participated in the first fiscal year 2017 Full Committee markup. The Committee considered the fiscal year 2017 subcommittee allocations as well as the fiscal year 2017 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill and the fiscal year 2017 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill.
The following are Vice Chairwoman Mikulski’s remarks, as prepared for delivery:
Continue Reading04.13.16
FY17 Military Construction & VA Subcommittee Markup Bill Summary
Washington, D.C. – The fiscal year 2017 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill provides $83 billion in discretionary funding, $3.2 billion above the fiscal year 2016 enacted level.
In addition to discretionary funding, the bill provides $102.5 billion in mandatory compensation and pension funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The bill also provides $66.4 billion in fiscal year 2018 advance funding for veterans health care and $103.9 billion for fiscal year 2018 advance funding for the VA’s compensation and pensions mandatory accounts.
Continue Reading