WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Matt Rosendale (MT-02) released the following statement after voting against the Fiscal Year 2025 Military, Construction, Veterans Affairs (VA), And Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
The legislation did not include Rep. Rosendale’s Amendment, Amendment 63, which would have stopped appropriated government funds from being used for certain types of assisted reproductive technologies, such as In vitro fertilization (IVF), by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. It will cost taxpayers $30.2 billion more than last year’s appropriation and will include 23 earmarks that cost approximately $550 million dollars. This bill is also concerning because it does nothing to hold Oracle-Cerner accountable for their failures in digitizing VA medical records.
“I could never vote for this reprehensible appropriations package that condones and funds the VA’s use of the same process that destroys countless more lives than Planned Parenthood in a single year,” said Rep. Rosendale. “Additionally, with being the first appropriation bill voted on this fiscal year, it sets a terrible spending precedent coming in at over $30 billion above last year’s bill. This bill also fails all veterans that rely on the VA for healthcare as it does nothing to terminate or restructure the VA’s contract with Oracle-Cerner whose failed digitization efforts have increased medical costs and made receiving medical care harder for veterans.”
