To reduce the bloated Pentagon budget by 10 percent and instead expand veteran dental care at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

SA 3853. Mr. SANDERS submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
to amendment SA 3748 proposed by Mr. Wicker (for himself and Mr. Reed)
to the bill S. 2296, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2026
for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of subtitle F of title X, add the following:

SEC. 1067. FUNDING FOR DENTAL CARE FROM DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS.

(a) In General.--The amount authorized to be appropriated
for fiscal year 2026 by this Act is--
(1) the aggregate amount authorized to be appropriated for
fiscal year 2026 by this Act (other than for military
personnel and the Defense Health Program); minus
(2) the amount equal to 10 percent of the aggregate amount
described in paragraph (1).
(b) Allocation.--The reduction made by subsection (a)
shall--
(1) apply on a pro rata basis among the accounts and funds
for which amounts are authorized to be appropriated by this
Act (other than military personnel and the Defense Health
Program);
(2) be applied on a pro rata basis across each program,
project, and activity funded by the account or fund
concerned; and
(3) be used by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide
direct dental care to all veterans eligible for health care
from the Department of Veterans Affairs through expansions in
dental treatment rooms and equipment and hiring of additional
dentists and other clinicians.

[[Page S6543]]

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