Today, Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04) voted to pass H.R. 8469, the Military Constructions, Veterans Affairs, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2027. H.R. 8469 fully funds veterans’ healthcare and benefits, while investing in robust military construction to improve servicemembers’ quality of life and ensure our armed forces are prepared for future threats.
Watch Congressman Alford’s remarks on the House floor in support of H.R. 8469 here.
Fourth District priorities secured in the FY27 MilCon-VA bill include provisions to:
Increase transparency for fees paid to attorneys and consultants to help with VA claims and appeals to ensure our veterans and taxpayers are not being ripped off.
Increase funding for the Toxic Exposures Fund to $54.6 billion, while ensuring previous appropriations to the fund remain available until expended.
Enhance the VAs utilization of technology, modernize its IT, and encourage adoption of AI to expedite Veterans’ claims and processing, improve data security, and expand access to care.
Instruct the Army to evaluate all buildings built before 1950 for safety, mission readiness, and needs related to improving these facilities. This would include the outdated Central Issuing Facility at Fort Leonard Wood.
Congressman Alford’s amendment to emphasize the importance of creating a pilot program under the Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) program to such educational assistance to no less than 1,000 students who are a dependent of a veteran and prepare them to be successful in college or some other post-high school educational program was included in the bill.
Background on the FY27 MilCon-VA Appropriations bill:
Veterans Support & Services
Fully funds veterans’ health care programs.
Fully funds veterans’ benefits.
Maintains funding for:
Veterans research programs
Mental health services
Other core support programs relied upon by veterans
Invests over $2 billion in:
Capital improvements for VA medical facilities
Four national cemeteries
Veterans Policy & Administration Priorities
Protects Second Amendment rights of veterans by:
Preventing the VA from submitting veteran information to the FBI without judicial consent
Fully funds the Community Care account, expanding access to:
Specialty care
Non-VA providers based on individual needs
Supports efforts to:
Improve veteran mental health outcomes
Strengthen suicide prevention initiatives
National Security & Military Construction
Provides robust funding for military construction, including:
Infrastructure supporting advanced weapons systems
Strategic investments in the Indo-Pacific region
Maintains prohibitions on:
Closure of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
Use of military construction funds to house detainees on U.S. soil
China & Supply Chain Protections
Prohibits the VA from:
Purchasing goods or services directly from Communist China
