Pappas Opposes Partisan Bill That Threatens U.S. Economy and Slashes Funding for Veterans
Republicans are playing politics with our economy and forcing massive cuts to VA funding that would eliminate over 124,000 outpatient visits for NH veterans, delay VA construction, and stop funding to house homeless veterans
Today, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) voted against a misguided and reckless partisan bill that threatens default and forces draconian cuts to VA funding. These cuts could lead to a reduction of 124,841 outpatient visits for New Hampshire veterans, delay construction and upgrades for VA facilities like Manchester VA Medical Center, and eliminate funding to support 50,000 homeless veterans nationwide.
“The legislation proposed by House Republicans is a partisan gimmick that does not seriously address the challenges we face,” said Congressman Pappas. “The place to have conversations about government spending and our debt and deficit is through the budget and appropriations processes, not by threatening default and draconian cuts to critical services like health care and housing for veterans. Just as we did during the Trump Administration, we should pay our bills and avoid default without jeopardizing the strength of our economy or threatening the health and well-being of our veterans. I support a bipartisan framework to avoid an economic catastrophe while continuing to have serious conversations about controlling spending growth and reducing the deficit. I’ll continue to work in a bipartisan fashion to safeguard our economy and fund vital services while working to keep our fiscal house in order.”
The Office of Management and Budget estimates that the Republican-led bill would enact a 22% cut in non-defense spending. The Department of Veterans Affairs projects that a 22% cut to their funding would result in 30 million fewer veteran outpatient visits and 81,000 jobs lost across the Veterans Health Administration - causing Granite State veterans to be unable to get appointments for vital care, access mental health services, and seek substance use disorder treatment.
Pappas is a member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
Pappas is a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, which last week proposed a framework to avoid defaulting on the national debt and advancing a sustainable budget.
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