House Approves Appropriations Bill With $1.5B for Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Programs

The House on Thursday voted 410-10 to approve a conference report for the fiscal year 2006 Interior-Environment appropriations bill (HR 2361), which includes $1.5 billion in supplemental funds for Department of Veterans Affairs health care programs, CQ Today reports. The Senate likely will approve the conference report before the August recess begins (Allen, CQ Today, 7/28). House and Senate negotiators on Tuesday agreed to add $1.5 billion to the legislation for VA health care programs. VA would use the funds to address a budget deficit in FY 2005 and help address an expected deficit of at least $2.6 billion in FY 2006 (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 7/27). Nine House Republicans and Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) voted against the conference report, in large part because of concerns that the final version of the bill included $52 million more than the original House version (CQ Today, 7/28).