Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016

Floor Speech

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Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Chairman, thank you for yielding time.

Madam Chairman, I rise in support of this bill, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill for 2016. In doing that, I want to congratulate Chairman Dent, the new chairman of this subcommittee. This is his maiden voyage as chairman of this subcommittee. He is a cardinal now. He has done a great job putting together this bill.

I also want to thank Mr. Bishop, the ranking member on the other side, for his cooperation in making this bill what it is today.

This is the first bill of the process, and I am pleased that we are off to a very early start--I am told the earliest start since 1974--continuing our good work from last year. I am optimistic that we are going to have a successful appropriations year, finishing on time and under regular order.

We are beginning the year on the right foot with a bipartisan bill, Madam Chairman, that I believe we can all get behind. The FY 2016 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill includes, as has been said, $76.6 billion in 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.

This is a total of $4.6 billion over last year. No one can call this a cut and be realistic about it. We have increased the funding by $4.6 billion year-to-year. We can't say that for all the other bills. Yes, we went overboard with what we had to work with in providing funds for the veterans and for military construction. That is a demonstration of our commitment to our warfighters and to our veterans and their loved ones, who sacrifice so much to protect this great Nation.

Within the total, the bill includes $7.7 billion for the DOD's construction projects in the U.S. and around the world, which provide our servicemembers with the infrastructure they need to remain at the ready.

The legislation also provides a total of $68.7 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs. That is a 5.6 percent increase over last year to guarantee the VA has the resources they need to care for every single qualified veteran, including meeting growing healthcare needs.

To that end, VA medical services are funded at $3.8 billion above the current level. That will treat 6.9 million eligible patients, providing mental health care, helping prevent suicide, and supporting research into prosthetics and traumatic brain injuries, among numerous other health initiatives. However, it is critical that we make sure the VA is being responsible with these taxpayer dollars.

It is clear that the VA is facing some considerable management challenges, and so this bill provides the oversight that will hold the Department accountable for its mistakes and takes the necessary steps to address and correct these problems.

For instance, the bill keeps a close eye on how the VA is spending its construction dollars by requiring reports on construction costs, savings, and changes in scope.

This is a good bill, Madam Chairman. I urge its adoption.

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