The White House is threatening to veto the House’s appropriations bill for military construction and Veterans Affairs, saying the VA portion of the bill contains too many partisan amendments on controversial topics, as Military Times reported.
“The draft bill includes numerous new, partisan policy provisions with devastating consequences including harming access to reproductive healthcare, threatening the health and safety of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex Americans, endangering marriage equality, hindering critical climate change initiatives, and preventing the administration from promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion,” the administration said in a statement opposing the bill.
The bill, which is likely to pass the House this week, is roughly the amount the administration asked for. But as it made its way through the committee process, amendments were added that would limit abortion access for veterans and eligible family members, eliminate a number of health care services for transgender veterans and bar the flying of LGBTQ pride flags at any VA facility.
The Senate bill is unlikely to include the more controversial issues, making the military construction/VA bill one of a growing list of measures facing tough negotiations on a tight deadline as the end of the fiscal year approaches.
Veterans Affairs photo by Louis Washkowiak
