{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://barrett.house.gov/media/press-releases/barrett-led-provisions-authorize-and-extend-critical-veteran-service-programs", "Barrett-Led Provisions to Authorize and Extend Critical Veteran Service Programs Signed into Law", "2025-11-14", "2025", "2025-11", "Republican", "House", "MI", "Tom Barrett", "B001321", "barrett.house.gov", "barrett", "https://barrett.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 On Wednesday, key provisions Congressman Tom Barrett (MI-07) led to authorize and extend critical veteran service programs were extended as part of the government funding legislation (H.R. 5371) President Donald Trump signed into law. These provisions, which Barrett introduced in September as part of his VA Extenders Act of 2025, reauthorize essential benefits, health care, and other services for veterans.\n\n\u201cAfter the uncertainty veterans experienced during the longest government shutdown in history, the least we can do is give them the peace of mind that the critical services and benefits they rely on will not be interrupted for the foreseeable future,\u201d said Barrett. \u201cReauthorizing this wide range of VA services, from suicide prevention programs to housing assistance, was absolutely necessary to give every man and woman who served our country the certainty of knowing they\u2019ll be supported when they return home \u2014 no matter what. I was proud to lead this important effort in Congress and see these provisions signed into law this week.\u201d\n\nThis congressional reauthorization will allow for the uninterrupted delivery of care for severely disabled veterans, operation of suicide prevention services, investment in rural health care for veterans, preservation of education benefits, and access to critical housing resources. Specific authorizations from Barrett\u2019s VA Extenders Act of 2025 that were signed into law include:\n\nAuthorizing the VA to provide nursing home care for severely disabled veterans;\n\nAuthorizing the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program;\n\nContinued funding for the Rural Access Network for Growth Enhancement (RANGE) program to expand rural mental health centers;\n\nPreserving education benefits for veterans impacted by school closures;\n\nAllowing contractor physicians to conduct disability exams;\n\nExtending critical housing programs, including supportive services for veteran families, assistance for homeless veterans with special needs, and adapted housing support for disabled veterans;\n\nStrengthening VA\u2019s Partial Claim Program to better protect veteran homeowners;\n\nRequiring transparent reporting to ensure necessary oversight; and\n\nContinuing vital transportation services for veterans traveling to medical appointments.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://barrett.house.gov/media/press-releases/barrett-led-provisions-authorize-and-extend-critical-veteran-service-programs"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.686417032033205, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}