{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://baumgartner.house.gov/media/press-releases/baumgartner-celebrates-key-victories-fy2026-milcon-va-appropriations-bill", "Baumgartner Celebrates Key Victories in FY2026 MilCon-VA Appropriations Bill", "2025-06-25", "2025", "2025-06", "Republican", "House", "WA", "Michael Baumgartner", "B001322", "baumgartner.house.gov", "baumgartner", "https://baumgartner.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON- Congressman Michael Baumgartner (WA-05) today applauded the Fiscal Year 2026 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (MilCon-VA) Appropriations bill for fully funding veterans\u2019 health care, benefits, and VA programs at $452.64 billion, a critical investment that honors the nation\u2019s commitment to those who have served.\n\nBeyond this major funding commitment, the bill delivers a significant win for veterans\u2019 transportation programs\u2014an initiative Congressman Baumgartner strongly advocated for. The legislation strongly supports the Department of Veterans Affairs\u2019 Volunteer Transportation Network, encouraging increased funding to recruit and retain volunteer drivers and maintain vehicles. This program is vital to making healthcare more accessible, especially for veterans in rural areas of Eastern Washington.\n\nThis victory complements the bill\u2019s overall commitment to fully fund veterans\u2019 medical care at $131.4 billion, reinforcing the nation\u2019s promise to those who served.\n\n\u201cVeterans have earned every bit of the care this bill provides, and fully funding their medical care is a victory we must celebrate,\u201d said Congressman Baumgartner. \u201cFor veterans in Eastern Washington, reliable transportation to VA facilities isn\u2019t just a convenience, it\u2019s a lifeline. By boosting support for the Volunteer Transportation Network, we\u2019re breaking down barriers and making sure our heroes get the care they deserve, when they need it most.\u201d\n\nTo read the letter Congressman Baumgartner wrote to the House Appropriations Committee advocating for the Department of Veterans Affairs\u2019 Volunteer Transportation Network, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T01:08:28Z"]], "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/media/press-releases/baumgartner-celebrates-key-victories-fy2026-milcon-va-appropriations-bill"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9889206849038601, "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"}