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December 25, 2024

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Bruce Westerman Weekly Column: Keeping Woke Policies Out of The VA

Bruce Westerman Va Policies Bill Hr 8580

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is intended to be an apolitical agency that provides healthcare, education, benefits, and other vital services to veterans - it is not meant to push any outside political agendas. Unfortunately, the Biden Administration and far-left Democrats have prioritized politics over the care of our nation's veterans and have utilized the VA to advance woke policies. In the past couple of years, the VA has extended benefits to illegal immigrants, used taxpayer dollars for abortions, displayed rainbow flags next to the American flag, and more. As the suicide rate of veterans increases, it's appalling that rather than focusing on serving those who have served us first, the VA would rather prioritize politically charged initiatives. When a veteran who risked their life in service to our country visits their local VA facility to receive care, they should not have to face political ideations before they even enter the front door. The needs of our nation's veterans should always be met before those of political bureaucrats, and it's incredibly disconcerting to know that veterans in my district, and nationwide, are facing these issues. To address this head-on, I've spoken directly to VA Secretary McDonough, sent oversight letters to the VA, and championed several bills to combat these issues. This week, I voted with House Republicans to pass the Fiscal Year 2025 funding bill for the VA. This comprehensive bill, HR 8580, will fully fund veterans' healthcare and benefits, prohibit the display of pride flags at VA facilities, stop taxpayer-funded abortions, prevent VA medical claims made by illegal aliens, and more. By passing this bill, House Republicans sent a clear message to the Biden Administration: the top priority of the VA should be providing world-class care and services to our nation's veterans, not advancing woke policies.

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