Judge Carter Testifies at Rules on H.R. 8469
Washington, D.C. – Today, House Appropriations Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee Chairman John Carter (R-TX) testified before the House Committee on Rules in support of H.R. 8469, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027.
Read Subcomittee Chairman Carter's remarks as prepared below:
"Thank you, Chairwoman Foxx, Ranking Member McGovern, and members of the [Rules] Committee for the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss the Fiscal Year 2027 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations bill.
"I want to thank Appropriations Committee Chairman Cole for his leadership in getting this bill through committee. I also want to recognize the Ranking Member of the Full Committee, Ms. DeLauro, and the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, Ms. Wasserman-Schultz, for their help in getting us to this point. I value my relationship with Ms. Wasserman-Schultz, and as I have said before, while I know we don’t agree on everything in the bill, we do agree on the importance of taking care of those who sacrifice so much for us.
"While it is not perfect, the legislation before us today received unanimous support out of committee. I greatly appreciate the bipartisan efforts of all those involved. These efforts show bipartisanship is not only possible but yields legislative success.
"Ideologically, we can all agree on the importance of supporting our troops, their families, and the nation’s veterans. For Fiscal Year 2027, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies bill’s discretionary allocation is $157 billion.
"I want to briefly highlight some of the priorities this bill addresses:
- Fully funds veterans’ healthcare.
- Provides an advance for the Toxic Exposures Fund.
- Includes $900 million for medical and prosthetic research.
- Addresses longstanding concerns of mental health and homelessness among veteran populations.
- Includes over $19 billion for military construction.
- Invests in barrack deficiencies, bolsters investments in DoD laboratories, assists in demolishing obsolete infrastructure and provides nearly $2 billion in military housing.
"In closing, this bill supports those who have sacrificed for our country and maintains our commitment to the well-being of both service members and veterans. I look forward to working with all of you as the bill moves forward. Again, I want to thank you for considering amendments to this bill from Members on both sides of the aisle.
"I appreciate your time and the opportunity to testify today."
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