WASHINGTON, DC – Ahead of a September 20 deadline, the U.S. Senate today unanimously approved the Veterans Benefits Continuity and Accountability Supplemental Appropriations Act to avoid an imminent budget shortfall and provide $3 billion in mandatory funding for veteran benefits.  The bill was approved a day earlier by the U.S. House of Representatives.  It now goes to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

U.S. Senator Jack Reed, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, says the bill will ensure veteran benefits remain uninterrupted.

“We’ve got to take care of our veterans and deliver benefits and lifesaving care to those who were exposed to toxins during their service,” said Reed, who serves on the Appropriations subcommittee that oversees veterans funding.  “Congress passed the PACT Act to strengthen care for all veterans who were exposed to toxins, burn pits, and other hazards while serving in the military.  It’s been a bigger success than was initially anticipated.  Now, we have to make sure the resources are there to uphold our promise to these men and women and care for all of our veterans.  Today, the Senate did the right thing and kept that promise.”

The budget shortfall is due to the fact that the 2022 PACT Act law has been successful in helping more veterans exposed to toxins during their military service get the help they need.

In July, VA officials told Congress that the department would need the emergency funding by September 20 to avoid a delay in compensation and pension benefit payments that go to 7 million veterans and their survivors.

The VA also required those funds in order to pay on time the readjustment benefit payments to more than 800,000 veterans and their beneficiaries.

Overall, the VA’s updated projections indicated a need of approximately $15 billion above what was originally requested, including $3 billion for the remainder of FY24 for Compensation and Pensions and Readjustment Benefits (mandatory funding), that was provided today.   

According to the VA, about 740,000 veterans have enrolled in VA health care since the PACT Act was enacted.  That is approximately a 33 percent increase over the previous two-year period before the PACT Act was signed into law.

The VA has an interactive performance dashboard that provides veterans with information about how to apply for health care and benefits under the PACT Act.  To date, over 1,560,000 veterans so far have completed filing Pact Act claims.

Veterans or their family members can also call the VA at 1-800-698-2411 to inquire about PACT Act benefits.