(PartiallyPolitics.com) – On Wednesday, the House GOP passed their first funding bill for the 2025 fiscal year. As part of the bill, there is a blueprint for military construction and for the Veterans Affairs (VA) Department which would also include a list of certain partisan riders on key issues, including abortion.
On Wednesday morning the legislation passed through the House in a 209-197 vote, despite the White House previously threatening that the President would veto this legislation. The Republican conference is attempting to move ahead with the plan that would have them pass 12 annual spending bills before the time of the August recess. The bill was also supported by four Democrats, while two Republicans had opposed it.
Despite passing the bills though it is unlikely that they will go anywhere as it is expected that Congress will be passing a stopgap funding bill to extend funding beyond the 2024 presidential election.
The spending bill includes $379 billion in overall funding which will be used for the VA and for construction and housing programs in the military. The GOP has also argued that the program would be used to ensure that the health care needs and benefits of veterans are funded.
Out of the $337 billion that is going to be used for VA funding, around one-third is specifically used for health care. Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) argued that this legislation exhibited the GOP’s commitment to bringing bills forward that complied with the Fiscal Responsibility Act while also honoring the commitment of the military and U.S. veterans.
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