Veronica Escobar

05/15/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/15/2026 13:41

Congresswoman Escobar Secures Key Wins in Bipartisan Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Funding Bill

Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) voted in favor of the Fiscal Year 2027 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MILCON-VA) Appropriations bill, which advanced out of the House Appropriations Committee with unanimous bipartisan support.

The FY2027 MILCON-VA bill provides $481 billion overall, including $157 billion in discretionary funding for military construction and veterans' programs. It increases funding for veterans' health care, including investments in suicide prevention, women's health, and rural services, while including several key provisions the Congresswoman secured.
"As a member of the MILCON-VA Subcommittee, I worked to ensure this bill delivers meaningful progress for our service members, our veterans, and communities like El Paso," said Rep. Escobar. "While no bill is perfect, this legislation reflects thoughtful bipartisan work and includes important steps forward on oversight, innovation, and accountability."

Delivering for El Paso Veterans and Military Families

The bill includes multiple provisions led by the Congresswoman and focused on strengthening veterans' care and supporting military infrastructure:

  • El Paso VA Medical Center Oversight: The Congresswoman wrote language in the legislation to require the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide detailed updates on activation planning for the new El Paso VA Medical Center, including staffing, equipment, and patient demand. This is in addition to her introduction of the El Paso VA Medical Center Activation Readiness Act in April. She previously helped secure $700 million for the facility's construction and continues to push to ensure it opens in a timely and cost-efficient manner.
  • Veteran Health Care Coordination: The legislation directs the VA to study ways to improve coordination for veterans who rely on multiple health systems, helping reduce gaps in care and improve outcomes.
  • Dialysis Care Protections: The bill reinforces the importance of maintaining and strengthening access to specialty dialysis services for veterans in regions like El Paso.

  • Expanded Medical Image Sharing: The Congresswoman advanced efforts to modernize the VA's medical imaging systems, improving coordination between VA facilities, community providers, and federal partners

Advancing Military Construction Reform and Innovation

The Congresswoman also secured provisions aimed at modernizing the military construction process:

  • Intergovernmental Support Agreements (IGSAs): The bill directs the Department of Defense to explore expanding the use of IGSAs for small-scale construction projects, a step toward making military construction faster, more flexible, and more cost-effective.
  • 3D Construction Standards: The legislation encourages the Pentagon to accelerate development of standardized building codes for additive manufacturing, helping military installations adopt innovative construction technologies more efficiently, like the construction currently happening at Fort Bliss.

  • Support for Fort Bliss Missions: The Congresswoman supported a measure which highlights the importance of the 32d Army Air and Missile Defense Command, whose aging headquarters was built in the 1950s, and encourages planning for a modern headquarters to support its global mission.

Standing Up for Veterans Nationwide

Additional provisions include:

  • Herbicide Exposure Review in Puerto Rico: The VA is directed to evaluate historical herbicide testing in Puerto Rico and determine whether affected veterans are properly recognized and supported.
  • VA Technology Modernization Oversight: The bill pushes for stronger data governance and responsible use of artificial intelligence to improve claims processing while maintaining accountability.
Video remarks can be found here and more information about the bill can be found here.
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Veronica Escobar published this content on May 15, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on May 15, 2026 at 19:41 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]