by Casey Harper
House Republicans passed a bill Wednesday to fund the Department of Veterans Affairs and build military facilities, but fights over abortion, sexuality and other issues could overturn it.
The Defense Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Act of 2025 includes spending of $378.644 billion.
These funds include $147.520 billion for the construction of military facilities by the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and “related agencies.”
Wednesday’s legislation is one of 12 bills needed to fund the government and was passed largely along party lines.
“I voted YES on the FY25 Defense Construction and VA Funding Act,” wrote U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont. on X, formerly known as Twitter. “It fully funds programs for our nation’s veterans, strengthens our security in the Indo-Pacific region, and funds woke policies.”
President Joe Biden, however, threatened to veto the bill because of provisions aimed at adopting “woke politics.”
“This morning I voted for the Defense Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Act of 2025,” Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., wrote on Page X. “This legislation fully funds veterans benefits, strengthens national security, and ends the mission Biden is about waking up our bases.”
The White House issued a statement before the vote saying the president would veto the bill if it reached his desk.
“Like last year, H.R. 8580 contains numerous, partisan policy provisions with devastating consequences, including hindering access to reproductive health care and threatening the health and safety of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) Americans , threatening marriage equality by hindering critical climate change initiatives and preventing the Administration from promoting diversity, equity and inclusion,” the White House said in a statement.
Beyond LGBT issues, the White House opposes the law’s restrictions on the apply of taxpayer funds for abortion.
“The administration strongly opposes Art. 255 of the Act, which would “prevent VA from using funds to implement, administer, or otherwise carry out the Final Rules published on March 4, 2024, which expanded access to abortion counseling and abortion in limited circumstances for certain veterans and VA beneficiaries,” the White House said in a statement .
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Casey Harper is a senior reporter Central Square for the Washington Bureau. He previously worked for The Daily Caller, The Hill and Sinclair Broadcast Group. Casey, a graduate of Hillsdale College, has also published articles on Fox News, Fox Business and USA Today.
