Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Chairman John Carter
HT-2 The Capitol
(202) 225-3047
Majority | Minority |
| John Carter – Chair | Debbie Wasserman Schultz – Ranking Member |
| John Rutherford | Sanford Bishop, Jr. |
| Michael Guest | Veronica Escobar |
| Ryan Zinke | Mike Levin |
| Stephanie Bice | Henry Cuellar |
| Scott Franklin | |
| Mark Alford – Vice Chair | |
| Nick LaLota |
Recent Activity
I'm honored to present the FY24 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations bill to the House today.
This bill is special because it supports our troops and their families, and the Nation's veterans.
The bill provides $17.5 billion for military construction and family housing projects. This is less than the FY23 enacted amount. However, it is nearly $800 million above the President's request.
We focus this investment in the Pacific to deter China's aggressive and coercive actions. We also provide significant funding for new barracks and child development centers.
This bill fully funds veterans' programs at the level requested by the President. It keeps our promise to veterans, and we do more to help veterans in the Pacific. But we also ensure taxpayer funds are used appropriately and effectively by increasing oversight of several programs.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Mr. McGovern, and members of the Committee. I want to thank each of you for the opportunity to testify on the FY24 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill.
This is a good bill because it supports our troops and their families and the Nation's veterans.
We provide almost $800 million above the budget request for military construction and family housing.
We focus this funding to deter China's aggression in the Pacific and on barracks and child development centers.
We fully fund veterans' programs at the requested level, while strengthening our oversight of the VA.
In response to VA's actions, this bill includes the Hyde Amendment. This will ensure tax dollars are not used to fund elective abortions.
I know my friend and ranking member, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, opposes this provision and several others.
WASHINGTON – Today, the Full Committee met to consider the Fiscal Year 2024 subcommittee allocations. The measure was approved by the Committee with a vote of 33 to 27.
Good morning. I'm honored to present today the first of the FY24 appropriations bills.
The Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies bill is special. We provide funds for our military and for service members and their families. We also provide funds for veterans' programs and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Finally, we provide funds to the agencies that honor our military and veterans, such as Arlington National Cemetery.
The bill provides almost $800 million above the budget request for military construction and family housing. With this funding, we address many unfunded requirements and provide additional funding for the services to better manage privatized housing.
As we begin our first full committee markup for Fiscal Year 2024, I want to take a moment to remind everyone what happened with government spending the last two years and explain the challenges this Committee now has ahead of us.
During the previous congress, three trillion dollars were spent outside of the normal appropriations process.
As spending sky-rocketed, so did inflation.
There was damage done to the economy, and the work of this Committee changed significantly over those two years.
That is why earlier this year I asked subcommittee chairs to evaluate all of the funding in the pipeline.
When the President's Budget finally arrived, I directed them to review each agency's budget line-by-line.
They did excellent work identifying savings in many areas.
WASHINGTON – Today, House Appropriations Chairwoman Kay Granger (TX) released the following statement on postponing markups scheduled for the week of May 22, 2023.
"Given recent developments in the negotiations between Speaker McCarthy and the President, and in order to give the Speaker maximum flexibility as talks continue, the Committee will postpone this week's markups."
