Pulaski Times

U.S. Senator John Boozman, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies, alongside several colleagues, has called on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to present Congress with an updated schedule and cost estimate for the Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) program.

This request is backed by Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jerry Moran, Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal, House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost, and Ranking Member Mark Takano. Joining them are Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Ranking Member Jon Ossoff and House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Chairman John Carter and Debbie Wasserman Schultz. They have urged VA Secretary Doug Collins to provide essential details for Congress to assess the program fully.

Recently, the VA revealed plans to speed up the EHRM deployment by including nine additional VA medical centers in 2026. This decision aims to revive the stalled modernization initiative. The request from these lawmakers follows a recommendation by the Government Accountability Office to develop an updated cost estimate for EHRM before advancing the expedited deployment.

“The need for a cost estimate is further underscored by practical necessity,” the members noted. “Without a reliable cost estimate, VA risks budget overruns, schedule delays, and diminished congressional trust. Compliance with these laws, directives, and GAO recommendations is a critical step to ensuring EHRM’s success and accountability."

The EHRM program, initially projected in 2019 to cost $16.1 billion over ten years, was later estimated by the Institute for Defense Analysis in October 2021 to potentially cost up to $50 billion. Following the lifting of a program pause in April 2023, the VA has yet to provide the anticipated updated cost estimate to Congress, as required by federal laws and Office of Management and Budget directives.