WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, Congressman Mike Garcia (CA-27) introduced the Veterans Benefits Continuity and Accountability Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024, a critical bill to fully fund the VA’s request for supplemental funding and address a massive funding shortfall at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This legislation is a direct response to the Biden-Harris administration’s mismanagement of the VA budget which threatens the benefits of millions of veterans.

“The Biden-Harris administration's reckless mismanagement of the VA's budget has led to a crisis that puts veterans' benefits at risk,” said Rep. Garcia. “This isn't just about a funding shortfall—it's about holding the administration accountable for its failures. We cannot simply throw more money at a broken system and enable further waste and mismanagement. My bill is focused on both ensuring our veterans receive the care they've earned and demanding accountability from those in charge. We need to fix what's broken, not just fund it, and make sure our heroes are never left behind by the failures of this administration.”

The VA recently reported a $2.883 billion shortfall for FY 2024. Without Congressional action before September 20, this shortfall would result in the Veterans Benefits Administration being unable to process benefits payments scheduled for October 1st. 

Rep. Garcia’s legislation is co-sponsored by House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK), House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost (R-IL), Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee Chairman John Carter (R-TX), Defense Subcommittee Chairman Ken Calvert (R-CA), and Legislative Branch Subcommittee Chairman David Valadao (R-CA).

“Our veterans defended our nation and values. They earned care and benefits through their service, and Congress won’t tolerate department mismanagement that threatens resources they rely on,” said Rep. Cole. “This shortfall is a glaring failure by the Biden-Harris Administration and its VA, marking one of the largest financial discrepancies in recent history. It also reflects a grave departure from their budget submission provided mere months ago. Our heroes deserve more than this incompetence. Through this bill, we ensure that promised benefits remain secure and enact needed oversight to guarantee full accountability and transparency.”

“The VA budget is serious business that has a real impact on veterans’ lives. The Biden-Harris administration has embarrassed themselves with how poorly they have mismanaged and run VA’s budget into the ground, resulting in a $15 billion dollar shortfall. That should have never happened, and the Biden-Harris VA must be held accountable,” said Rep. Bost. “But time and time again, especially when it comes to the men and women who have served, House Republicans will always be there to clean up this administration’s mess. I want to thank my friend and fellow veteran, Rep. Mike Garcia, for his leadership on this vitally important legislation to right the ship and ensure that veterans can continue to receive the benefits and services they have earned.”

“We made a promise to America’s veterans, and this supplemental is Congress’ way of fulfilling that promise by ensuring they receive the benefits they’re owed,” said Rep. Carter.  “While House Republicans are going to do what’s necessary to take care of our heroes, I am gravely disappointed that the VA has irresponsibly put veterans in this position. The veterans’ benefits that are at risk with this shortfall are crucial to veterans’ livelihoods and the mismanagement by the VA is shameful.” 

“This VA supplemental bill is necessary to ensure our veterans receive the benefits they have earned,” said Rep. Calvert. “If Congress fails to act, veterans benefit funding could lapse and cause hardship to those who defended our nation. I am proud to work together with Rep. Garcia, Chairman Cole, and Chairman Bost to protect our veterans and the benefits they rely on.”

“Our veterans have made incredible sacrifices for our country, and we owe it to them to ensure they have access to the benefits they’ve earned,” said Rep. Valadao. “This bill addresses the immediate funding need at the VA, while also taking the necessary steps to ensure this kind of budget mismanagement doesn’t happen again. I’m proud to join my colleagues to ensure veterans across the Central Valley can continue to access their benefits. I’ll continue working to hold the VA accountable for our veterans.”

Rep. Garcia’s bill includes strong oversight measures to uncover how this massive shortfall occurred and to prevent it from happening again. It mandates the VA to fully disclose their finances to Congress to identify the root causes and outline the changes made for future budget requests. The bill also calls for the VA’s Inspector General to conduct an independent investigation into this failure, ensuring accountability and transparency moving forward.

A full copy of the bill text is available here.