Senate committee advances $270 billion budget for VA

WASHINGTON — Senate appropriators voted Wednesday to advance the largest-ever budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs, backing President Joe Biden’s 10% increase for the agency.

The Senate Appropriations Committee voted 25-5 to advance the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2022 — a move that signals widespread support in Congress for the spending increase.

Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., a member of the committee, said the bill provides “groundbreaking investment in VA health care and research.”