{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=02F8F81A-7163-4FA2-A094-816E80EAA907", "McConnell Applauds Passage of Veterans Funding Bill", "2024-09-19", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) applauded Senate passage today of the Veterans Benefits Continuity and Accountability Supplemental Appropriations Act. The legislation provides $2.88 billion in supplemental funding to ensure veterans in the Commonwealth continue to receive disability compensation, pensions, and education benefits. The legislation also requires important accountability measures to reign in VA mismanagement, including requiring a VA Inspector General-led review into the circumstances and causes of the shortfall.\n\n\u201cOne of our most sacred obligations is to support the millions of brave men and women who answered our nation\u2019s call to serve. The egregious mismanagement of the Department of Veterans Affairs put this commitment in serious jeopardy, and the blame falls squarely on the Biden-Harris Administration. Their negligence produced an unprecedented budget shortfall, imperiling the essential benefits veterans and their families rely on,\u201d said Senator McConnell. \u201cI\u2019m proud Senate Republicans stepped up to correct the VA\u2019s failure and demand greater accountability from this Administration. Kentucky\u2019s veterans and every American who has worn the uniform deserve nothing less.\u201d\n\nOn July 19, 2024, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) informed Congress of a mandatory funding shortfall of $2.88 billion for the Veterans Benefits Administration in FY 2024. This budget shortfall threatened veterans\u2019 disability benefits scheduled for delivery beginning on October 1st.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:46:43Z"]], "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.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=02F8F81A-7163-4FA2-A094-816E80EAA907"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.686044106259942, "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"}