Metro East Sun

Today, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs held an oversight hearing to review President Trump's fiscal year 2026 and 2027 budget request for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Chairman Mike Bost (R-Ill.) delivered opening remarks, welcoming VA Secretary Doug Collins to testify.

Chairman Bost emphasized the importance of a respectful and productive hearing. He stated that the committee is there to review the VA's budget request for fiscal year 2026, which includes $187.2 billion in funding. This amount represents a more than 17 percent increase over last year's budget, with $134.6 billion in discretionary funding and an additional $50 billion from the Toxic Exposure Fund.

Bost highlighted a shared belief across Congress: "The belief that V.A. should be fully funded to provide top-notch care to our veterans and their families." He expressed optimism about the proposal but also noted concerns about avoiding financial mismanagement seen during the previous administration under President Biden.

He criticized past budget practices within the VA under Biden, stating they involved poor internal accounting and fiscal discipline, leading to unnecessary alarm among veterans. He also addressed reorganization efforts at VA, countering claims that Secretary Collins intends to reduce its workforce by 83,000 employees as baseless.

Chairman Bost defended Secretary Collins against accusations of non-cooperation with Congress: "On several occasions, the Secretary’s staff have come up to the hill to brief committee staff in both the House and Senate on the status of the reorganization efforts."

Bost also took a moment to remind colleagues about transparency issues under former Secretary McDonough during Biden's term. He concluded by expressing hope for restoring transparency and accountability under Secretary Collins's leadership.

The session continues with Ranking Member Takano providing his opening statement as part of this ongoing review process.