{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.hoeven.senate.gov/news/news-releases/hoeven-honors-nations-veterans-outlines-priorities-included-in-milcon-va-approps-bill", "Hoeven Honors Nation\u2019s Veterans, Outlines Priorities Included in Milcon-VA Approps Bill", "2025-11-11", "2025", "2025-11", "Republican", "Senate", "ND", "John Hoeven", "H001061", "www.hoeven.senate.gov", "hoeven", "https://www.hoeven.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "Hoeven Honors Nation\u2019s Veterans, Outlines Priorities Included in Milcon-VA Approps Bill\n\nAs Member of Appropriations Committee, Senator Included Provisions to Improve VA Health Care and Veterans Cemeteries\n\nWASHINGTON \u2013 Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (Milcon-VA) Appropriations Committee, today honored the sacrifices of all those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces on Veterans Day. Hoeven outlined important priorities included in the Milcon-VA Appropriations bill that was part of an agreement to reopen the government that is advancing through Congress.\n\n\u201cOur nation\u2019s veterans have served honorably and made tremendous sacrifices to secure our liberties and keep us safe. Every day, but particularly on Veterans Day, we pay tribute to these brave Americans and thank them for their service,\u201d said Hoeven. \u201cThe best way to honor our veterans is by providing them with the benefits and recognition that they have earned. We included important provisions in this year\u2019s Milcon-VA funding bill to ensure that we keep our nation\u2019s promise to care for those who have served so honorably, including better access to care as well as a provision to help advance the Veterans Memorial Center at the Fargo National Cemetery.\u201d\n\nHoeven outlined important veterans priorities in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Milcon-VA appropriations bill. In addition to strong funding for veterans medical care and veterans benefits, the legislation:\n\nSupports construction of additional infrastructure at Rural Initiative national cemeteries, like the Fargo National Cemetery (FNC) and ensures the VA prioritizes investments that involve state and local contributions, similar to the Veterans Memorial Center being advanced by the Hoeven-led FNC working group.\n\nImproves veterans access to long-term care by recruiting and retaining more partners and pressing the VA to work toward permanently exempting providers from onerous contracting requirements at the Department of Labor.\n\nExpands access to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) by encouraging the VA to continue researching the therapy as a treatment for post-traumatic stress (PTS) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), while permitting case-by-case referrals for HBOT through VA Community Care.\n\nAdditionally, Hoeven secured funding and language supporting military construction priorities in North Dakota including:\n\nContinued nuclear modernization at the Minot Air Force Base. Hoeven included measures in the bill directing the Air Force to prioritize and fund security enhancements at Minot Air Force Base\u2019s existing Weapons Storage Area, and develop a plan, including a construction timeline for Sentinel launch facilities that incorporates concurrent construction at all three missile bases.\n\n$1.5 million in additional funding for the North Dakota National Guard\u2019s Jamestown Readiness Center.\n\nHoeven-provision to ensure the Army National Guard meets lodging needs at facilities like Camp Grafton\u2019s Regional Training Institute.\n\nThe housing project is fully designed, supported by $2 million in funding Hoeven secured in FY2024.\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://www.hoeven.senate.gov/news/news-releases/hoeven-honors-nations-veterans-outlines-priorities-included-in-milcon-va-approps-bill"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.994607038795948, "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"}