Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026

Floor Speech

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Mr. HERNANDEZ. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of Congresswoman Kiggans' amendment No. 79, which ensures sufficient VA medical care for veterans in the U.S. territories, Commonwealths, and Freely Associated States.

This amendment is critical for places like Puerto Rico where over 79,000 veterans reside on the island and have served our Nation with honor and distinction. Yet far too often, they face unequal access to the care they have earned, whether it is limited specialty services, understaffed facilities, or long wait times for off-island referrals.

The same is true in Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands, as well as the Freely Associated States in the Pacific. Veterans in these communities, no matter where they live, should have access to quality medical care owed to them.

This amendment sends a clear message: Our commitment to veterans does not stop at the mainland. It reinforces the principle that all who served deserve timely, high-quality care, regardless of where they live.

I thank the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Kiggans) for her leadership, and I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

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