The Senate has passed legislation led by U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) that provides funding for military construction and veterans affairs. Boozman, who chairs the Senate Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, said the bill secures important resources for Arkansas’s military priorities.
“Providing the resources that support our veterans and their loved ones as well as ensure the Defense Department is able to project power globally, enhance our warfighting capabilities and train our forces is essential, and I’m pleased my colleagues approved this legislation in bipartisan fashion. I’m proud to have secured funding for Arkansas-based national security components including Red River Army Depot and the Arkansas National Guard in addition to tools that help make certain we deliver the benefits and services that veterans deserve,” Boozman said.
The bill includes $93 million for projects at Red River Army Depot and supports the Arkansas National Guard. It also invests in military housing, improvements to VA electronic health records and IT systems, telehealth services, women’s health initiatives, and medical innovation.
The measure was approved by a vote of 87-9 in the Senate alongside other appropriations acts. The Fiscal Year 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Related Agencies Appropriations Act passed with it; the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act was approved separately by a vote of 81-15. For these bills to become law, they must also pass in the House or be reconciled through a Conference Committee before being signed by the president.
Key elements of the legislation include $19.8 billion for Department of Defense military construction programs across more than 280 projects worldwide. Of this amount, $1.9 billion is allocated to improve housing for servicemembers and their families.
For veterans affairs, $133.3 billion is provided overall. This includes $113.8 billion in discretionary funding for VA medical care; combined with funds from the Toxic Exposures Fund, VA will have access to $163.6 billion for veteran care needs such as mental health ($18.9 billion), telehealth ($6.4 billion), homelessness programs ($3.5 billion), caregiver support ($3.5 billion), medical research ($943 million), women’s health care ($1.4 billion), and rural health initiatives ($342 million).
Additional provisions include $5.9 billion for VA information technology systems maintenance; $3.5 billion for electronic health record deployments at new sites beginning in 2026; $253.6 billion in mandatory funding covering disability compensation programs, education benefits, vocational rehabilitation, and employment training; plus advance appropriations of $122.3 billion for FY 2027 veterans healthcare.
The bill maintains restrictions on closing or realigning Naval Station Guantanamo Bay or constructing new facilities within the U.S., while adding a ban on VA purchases of technology equipment from certain Chinese companies identified by federal agencies.
Other entities receiving significant funding through this legislation are the American Battle Monuments Commission, U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, Arlington National Cemetery, and Armed Forces Retirement Home.
