VA Budget Shortfall Accountability Act

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in hesitant support of H.R. 1823, the VA Budget Shortfall Accountability Act of 2025, as amended.

This bill requires the U.S. Government Accountability Office to conduct a review of the circumstances surrounding the budget shortfalls at the Veterans Benefit Administration in fiscal year 2024 and at the Veterans Health Administration in fiscal year 2025.

Upon completion, GAO will submit the report to VA, which must transmit it to the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Appropriations Committees.

GAO is then required to complete five subsequent annual reviews of VHA's and VBA's budget execution for the preceding fiscal year.

I am concerned that this legislation is duplicative of reports that have already been published by VA's Office of Inspector General, and of work GAO is currently conducting that was initiated under the Comptroller General's authority.

It is especially concerning that we are considering H.R. 1823 today, given the context of the letter Chairman Bost recently sent to the Department of Justice, urging the Attorney General to investigate three former Biden administration officials for criminal wrongdoing in handling last year's budget shortfall.

This bill should be viewed as political retaliation. It is not serious oversight. Give me a break.

The reports recently issued by OIG have already determined that VA's existing accounting and budget technological infrastructure is a primary cause of the shortcomings in VA's monitoring of budget execution that led to the VBA and VHA shortfalls in fiscal years 2024 and 2025, respectively.

This bill does nothing to address that and other underlying causes, and instead seems to be designed to reopen investigation of previous errors.

GAO's resources could be put to better use on more meaningful oversight of VA's budget formulation and execution process to include the role of the Office of Management and Budget in determining VA's annual budget requests. This legislation will not accomplish that.

While I find the intent of the bill to be retaliatory in nature in terms of the time it will waste looking back on the Biden administration budget, I do agree with my majority colleagues that the Trump administration budget formulation and execution process warrants scrutiny.

For that reason, I am pleased that the majority added a provision to the bill before markup that requires GAO to review VA's budget each year of the Trump administration. Secretary Collins has already broken the law by redirecting funds without congressional approval, and I worry that trend will continue over the next 4 years. I hope my colleagues will join me in rigorous oversight of the Trump administration's approach to VA's budget. I will not stand in the way of this bill's passage today.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to share my position on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and the ranking member for supporting this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my legislation, the VA Budget Shortfall Accountability Act, a bill that puts veterans first by ensuring the systems meant to serve them are working as intended.

Last July, the VA came to Congress with a dire warning: the agency was facing major funding shortfalls, nearly $3 billion for veterans' benefits and additional $12 billion for healthcare.

The message was urgent: Without immediate action, benefits could be delayed for millions of veterans. Congress acted quickly and responsibly to approve supplemental funding because when it comes to our veterans and their families, there can be no margin for error.

Their peace of mind, their financial security, and their access to care are not negotiable.

Just weeks later, we learned that there were, in fact, no shortfalls. Revised financial estimates from the VA showed billions of dollars left unspent. While the shortfall didn't actually exist, the panic, confusion, and sleepless nights for the veterans wondering whether they would receive care was very real, and it was avoidable.

Mr. Speaker, the goal of H.R. 1823 is not to assign blame. It is to strengthen trust. Our veterans should never have to worry that an accounting error might prevent them from receiving their earned care and benefits. This bill simply ensures that the Comptroller General will audit the VA's budgeting and accounting systems, identify where things went wrong, and help make sure it never happens again.

Let's be clear: The VA serves millions of veterans with dedication and compassion every day, but we can always do better and our veterans deserve nothing less. They have earned the peace of mind that comes from knowing their government is not only committed to them but equipped to serve them reliably.

The VA Budget Shortfall Accountability Act is about reinforcing that commitment. This is not a partisan issue. It is about making sure we get it right for those who have served our Nation every time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in supporting this bill, which will help ensure that our veterans never have to question whether their benefits and care will be there when they need them.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1823) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Comptroller General of the United States to report on certain funding shortfalls in the Department of Veterans Affairs, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 1823, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1823, as amended.

This bill was introduced by my friend and colleague, Representative Jack Bergman. This bill will create good government accounting and reporting practices in handling of VA's multibillion-dollar budget.

General Bergman introduced this bill in response to a disastrous miscalculation during the Biden administration, which led to a fake budget shortfall.

Last July, VA informed Congress about a potential $15 billion shortfall. VA said it needed the money for unprecedented increases in benefits claims and healthcare services. This notice came after the Biden administration had already submitted its VA budget request.

Mr. Speaker, it should go without saying that VA should have known its financial situation much earlier than the time they told us about the shortfall that ended up never existing.

Now, according to VA Office of Inspector General, the miscalculations stem from a lack of oversight, accuracy, and communication. It is time to change that. If there is anything that we have learned, it is that we need our eyes on the VA budget and their reviews. I am proud to support General Bergman's bill to do exactly that.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1823, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bergman), the chief sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam President, as if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 1823 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

I further ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.