The House of Representatives convened recently to pass two bills concerning Veterans Affairs and healthcare. The first one, House Resolution (HR) 586, is about healthcare. The second one, HR 1039, is about the Department of Veterans Affairs and their efficiency.
HR 586 requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct an epidemiological study and report. The report is on the prevalence of bile duct cancer in veterans who served in the Vietnam theater of operations during the Vietnam era.
Specifically, the study must identify the rate of incidence of this cancer in such veterans and in U.S. residents.
Additionally, HR 586 requires the VA to periodically submit follow-up reports to Congress. The periodic reports must include information collected from the Veterans Affairs central cancer registry.
HR 1039 requires the VA to enter into an agreement with a federally funded research and development center. This research and development center would assess notices that the VA sends to claimants applying for or submitting claims for VA benefits.
The bill also requires the VA to be accountable to Congress regarding the findings of the research center. The VA must report on the findings of the assessment and implement recommendations in the assessment.
Alongside these bills, the House has to deal with the Senate’s recent budget resolution. Some representatives disagree with its details while others think a compromise is possible.
Representative Andrew Clyde (R) of Georgia expressed his disapproval on X. He derided the bill as a step backwards.
Clyde stated, “The House’s budget resolution cuts a MINIMUM of $1.5 TRILLION over ten years. Yet the Senate’s budget plan only cuts $4 BILLION over this same time frame. Now is the time to get SERIOUS about restoring fiscal sanity and delivering significant spending cuts.”
This is contrasted with Speaker Mike Johnson’s opinion on the matter. He believes that collaboration is still possible and changes can be made.
Johnson stated, “Any final reconciliation bill must include historic spending reductions, while also safeguarding essential programs. This is a collaborative process. Congressional Republicans are working together to get this done.”
