John Boozman

04/30/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/30/2026 08:46

Boozman Holds Hearing Examining FY27 Budget Request for Department of Veterans Affairs

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), Chairman of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MilCon-VA) Appropriations Subcommittee, held a hearing examining the fiscal year 2027 budget request and fiscal year 2028 advanced appropriations request for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Chairman Boozman delivered the following opening statement, lightly edited for clarity and length:

Good morning, the subcommittee will come to order.

Mr. Secretary, good morning, and thank you for coming today to discuss the fiscal year 2027 budget and fiscal year 2028 advanced appropriations request for the Department of Veterans Affairs. I would also like to recognize the VA Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Richard Topping, who is here to provide technical budget support, if necessary.

The budget requests a total of $488.2 billion in fiscal year 2027 for the Department of Veterans Affairs, representing a 7.7 percent increase over fiscal year 2026 enacted levels. This includes $144.7 billion in discretionary funds; $337.7 billion in mandatory funds, to include $54.6 billion for the Toxic Exposure Fund and advance appropriations for fiscal year 2028.

Landmark pieces of legislation like the PACT Act and the MISSION Act have reshaped veteran access to healthcare. The creation of these programs has ensured more veterans are eligible to receive care and have access to the resources needed to exercise these earned benefits. This subcommittee has worked tirelessly to ensure that the department has the resources it needs to deliver world-class healthcare to those who have served.

The budget request also includes significant investments in systems modernization to support veterans who use VA services, and the dedicated workforce that is essential to providing a positive veteran experience.

For instance, this year's budget request includes $4.2 billion, an $840 million increase, to support the continued deployment acceleration of an Electronic Medical Record. The VA faced significant challenges during the early rollout stages. However, VA's current leadership has adapted and earlier this month delivered what seems to be a very successful rollout in Michigan.

Secretary Collins, we look forward to an update on this program and hope we are on track to make health records boring again.

Mr. Secretary, your RISE proposal would consolidate administrative functions in the Veterans Health Administration above the clinic level. This subcommittee is interested in an update on this proposal, the expected efficiencies you hope to gain, what risks the VA is evaluating as it considers the final proposal, and any budget implications.

In addition to updates on those big picture items, we also look forward to hearing details about the department's request for mental health services, including efforts to prevent veteran suicide, initiatives to prevent veteran homelessness, resources dedicated to care for women veterans, and efforts to improve care for our rural veterans.

I would be remiss not to publicly acknowledge the retirement of the long-time clerk of this subcommittee. For a dozen years, Patrick Magnuson has worked tirelessly to ensure adequate funding for VA and military construction through some of the most challenging and dynamic years in our nation's history. Thank you, Patrick, and godspeed in your retirement.

Click play to view the video or follow this link https://youtu.be/3bd45zoIwr4

John Boozman published this content on April 30, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on April 30, 2026 at 14:46 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]