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Congress passes emergency bill to address $3 billion VA budget shortfall

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston
Published September 20, 2024 at 6:39 AM EDT
The Greenville VA Clinic on Moye Boulevard.
Courtesy U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs
The Greenville VA Clinic on Moye Boulevard.

This week the House passed an emergency bill to address a $3 billion budget shortfall in the Department of Veterans Affairs. The bill now heads to the Senate.

The VA warned lawmakers weeks ago that veterans’ compensation and pension benefit payments could be delayed next month if additional funding was not provided.

Officials with the VA have said the PACT Act was the main reason for the budget shortfall, because it led to increases in enrollment in VA health care, appointments and applications benefits.

North Carolina U.S. Congressman Greg Murphy said he voted in favor of the bill to ensure veterans are taken care of, not because the Department of Veterans Affairs is deserving.

Murphy cited “gross mismanagement, such as millions of dollars of unjustified bonuses and delayed adjudication of sexual harassment scandals” for putting the VA in the financial position that agency is in today.
Annette Weston
Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to eastern North Carolina in 2019 to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of kiddo cuddling, reading, and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.
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