{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://baumgartner.house.gov/2026/05/15/baumgartner-hails-passage-of-the-fy-2027-milcon-va-appropriations-bill/", "Baumgartner Hails Passage of the FY 2027 MilCon-VA Appropriations Bill", "2026-05-15", "2026", "2026-05", "Republican", "House", "WA", "Michael Baumgartner", "B001322", "baumgartner.house.gov", "baumgartner", "https://baumgartner.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Congressman Michael Baumgartner today welcomed House passage of the Fiscal Year 2027 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (MilCon-VA) Appropriations bill, which fully funds veterans\u2019 health care and benefits while investing in military readiness, family housing, and quality-of-life infrastructure that directly impacts Eastern Washington\u2019s large veteran and military community. The measure was approved by a vote of 400-15.\n\nThe bipartisan legislation provides $450.3 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs, including full funding for veterans\u2019 medical care, benefits, toxic exposure-related care, mental health programs, and VA facility modernization. The bill also continues support for veterans transportation programs that are especially important in rural communities where veterans often travel long distances to reach care.\n\n\u201cEastern Washington has one of the highest concentrations of veterans and servicemembers in the country, and this bill reflects our responsibility to support the men and women who served,\u201d said Congressman Baumgartner. \u201cFor many veterans in our rural communities, getting to a medical appointment can mean driving several hours. Transportation programs connected to Mann-Grandstaff and regional VA clinics are not a luxury \u2014 they are a lifeline that helps veterans actually access the care they earned.\u201d\n\n\u201cSupporting veterans means more than rhetoric,\u201d Baumgartner added. \u201cIt means protecting benefits from inflation, improving access to care, supporting military families, and making sure communities like Eastern Washington continue to receive the resources needed to honor that service.\u201d\n\nIn addition to fully funding veterans\u2019 health care and benefits, the legislation includes major investments in military construction, barracks improvements, military family housing, child development centers, and infrastructure supporting military readiness and quality of life at installations across the country, including missions connected to Fairchild Air Force Base.\n\nEastern Washington is home to one of the strongest military and veteran communities in the Pacific Northwest. Spokane County alone is home to nearly 42,000 veterans, while Fairchild Air Force Base supports thousands of servicemembers, civilian employees, and military families across the region. Many veterans throughout Eastern Washington rely on the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center and regional clinics for primary care, mental health services, and specialty treatment.", 1, "2026-05-16T06:05:00Z", "2026-05-16T06:06:37Z"]], "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://baumgartner.house.gov/2026/05/15/baumgartner-hails-passage-of-the-fy-2027-milcon-va-appropriations-bill/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9343649726361036, "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"}