H.R. 1823 · 119th Congress · House
VA Budget Shortfall Accountability Act
Introduced 2025-03-04 · Sponsored by Rep. Bergman, Jack [R-MI-1] (R-MI) · Last updated 2026-03-31
Last action (2026-01-20): Became Public Law No: 119-71.
Summary
Orders the GAO to investigate why the Veterans Benefits Administration ran short on funding in 2024 and why the Veterans Health Administration is expected to come up short in 2025. The VA must send the GAO's findings to Congress, putting the budget problems on the record so lawmakers can figure out what went wrong.
The Good
Requires independent review of VA funding shortfalls
Directs the GAO to investigate the causes of VA funding deficits in the Veterans Benefits Administration and Veterans Health Administration. Independent accountability helps prevent future budget crises that disrupt veteran care.
The Bad
GAO reports do not guarantee corrective action
The GAO can identify problems but cannot force the VA or Congress to fix them. Previous GAO reports on VA management have documented similar issues without leading to structural reform.
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