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VoteVets Statement Opposing Republican’s Anti-Veteran Funding Proposal

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VoteVets strongly opposes H.R. 1968, the Republican full-year Continuing Resolution, and urges every Member to vote NO. H.R. 1968 would decimate programs that millions of Veterans rely on. It would cut $22.8 billion from the PACT Act – healthcare for Veterans with cancer and other diseases from toxic exposures — as well as billions in support for homeless Veterans, Veteran small business owners, and more. We applaud the statement by Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and urge every Member to join them in voting NO.

H.R. 1968 would severely damage many programs Veterans rely on, including:

  • PACT Act – H.R. 1968 cuts $22.8 billion in funding for the Cost of War Toxic Exposures Fund in FY 2026. The Toxic Exposures Fund, created by the PACT Act, is a lifeline for Veterans with cancer and other diseases from exposure to Agent Orange, burn pits, and other toxic substances. Millions of Veterans – as many as one in five – could benefit from PACT. Threatening to eliminate the Toxic Exposures fund is not only cruel, it is an outright betrayal of the Veterans community.
  • Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration (VHA) – H.R. 1968 fails to specify funding levels for some programs within VHA, such as homelessness assistance grants, mental health care, rural health, opioid and substance abuse programs, some oncology programs, and caregivers support.
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH) – H.R. 1968 would cut funding for NIH by $280 million, impacting directives related to research on cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, heart disease, mental health, and countless other conditions.
  • Social Security Administration – An estimated 7.7 million Veterans receive Social Security benefits. H.R. 1968 allows Elon Musk and President Trump to fire thousands of employees at the Social Security Administration, which would result in closures of Social Security offices, increased wait times, and unacceptable backlogs for Social Security beneficiaries.
  • Housing Assistance – H.R. 1968 would cut rent subsidies and homelessness response grants for low-income and working Americans by more than $700 million, potentially impacting tens of thousands of homeless Veterans.
  • Small Business Administration – Under H.R. 1968, programs that benefit entrepreneurs, including veteran-owned small businesses and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, could be cut or eliminated. Rural Development Broadband – H.R. 1968 would cut support for the rural broadband Community Connect program by $30 million, impacting about one in four Veterans – 4.6 million – who live in rural areas.  

With this proposal, Republicans are threatening to shut down the government unless Members agree to slash Veterans’ healthcare and other vital programs. That is a false choice. By putting this bill on the floor, Republican leadership is showing utter disrespect for the sacrifice Veterans made for our country. We hope you will join us in opposing it.