(Washington, DC) Representative Tom Malinowski championed nearly $14 billion for veteran mental health services in the FY 2023 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill. This lifesaving investment includes $498 million for suicide prevention outreach such as the Veterans Crisis Line.
In the FY 2023 funding bill, Rep. Malinowski also led a bipartisan push supported by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America for accountability from the Veterans Health Administration on wait times for veterans to access VA-managed mental health care. The effort was co-led by Representative Brian Mast (R-FL).
“We can’t always see the wounds our veterans wear when they come back from combat,” said Representative Malinowski. "That’s why I fought for this funding that protects the lives of veterans in my district and across the country."
Additional provisions Representative Malinowski fought for in the FY 2023 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill include:
- Unhoused Veterans: $2.7 billion for all Veteran Homeless Assistance Programs.
- Veteran Record Modernization: $1.76B for veteran health record modernization to address record request backlogs at the National Personnel Records Center.
- Innovative Green Energy Projects: Rep. Malinowski led an effort to secure support from the U.S. Department of Defense for innovative green energy infrastructure projects like those championed by the New Jersey Guard.
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