Scott Votes to Support Nation’s Veterans

U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) released the following statement after voting for the FY2017 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill which provides a total of $190 billion in funding, $159 million over the President’s budget request.

In addition to discretionary funding, the bill provides $102.5 billion in mandatory compensation and pension funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The bill also provides $66.4 billion in fiscal year 2018 advance funding for veterans health care and $103.9 billion for fiscal year 2018 advance funding for the VA’s compensation and pensions mandatory accounts.

“I was proud to support the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill because it ensures that the services and care that our veterans earned through their service to our nation is delivered to them. Our nation’s active military, veterans and their families all around the world and in South Carolina must be able to know that the federal government will keep its promises,” said Senator Scott. “With nearly 400,000 veterans in South Carolina, I know how important these resources are to addressing the changing veteran population, which now spans generations of brave men and women. In addition to funding services, this bill has a number of important reforms and updates, including increases for and oversight of the VA to address the VA claims backlog, continuing to modernize the VA electronic health record and adding staff to root out fraud, waste and abuse.”

The VA appropriations bill also included $1.1 billion in emergency funding for the fight against Zika.