Congressman Gabe Evans voted on May 15 to pass the Fiscal Year 2027 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The legislation allocates $157 billion in discretionary funding for military construction, veterans affairs, and related agencies, as well as $329.9 billion in mandatory funding for veterans programs and benefits.
The bill aims to support veterans’ health care and benefits, strengthen military readiness, and invest in the quality of life of servicemembers and their families. This includes full funding for medical care, mental health programs, suicide prevention efforts, medical research, and Community Care programs that allow veterans to access specialized care closer to home.
Evans said: “As a veteran, I understand firsthand the sacrifices our servicemembers and their families make every single day. When our men and women in uniform raise their right hand to serve this country, we make a promise to support them — both while they serve and after they return home. This bill helps fulfill that promise by fully funding veterans’ care and benefits, strengthening military readiness, improving housing and infrastructure for military families, and investing in mental health resources for those who have sacrificed so much for our nation.”
The legislation also invests more than $19 billion in military construction projects such as barracks improvements, child development centers upgrades, oversight of military housing conditions, critical infrastructure supporting national security missions, and advanced weapons systems.
Evans secured language in the appropriations bill supporting the Department of Veterans Affairs’ plan to build a new medical clinic in Weld County. Colorado’s Eighth Congressional District currently does not have a VA medical clinic; this has required local veterans to travel long distances for essential services.
More than $2 billion is included for capital improvements at VA medical facilities and national cemeteries with the goal of ensuring ongoing care and support for veterans.
