Other
Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2026
This legislation funds military construction, veterans’ benefits and healthcare, agriculture, food assistance, and congressional operations for fiscal year 2026. For veterans, it finances specialized healthcare, caregiver support, and fertility treatments, ensures medical cannabis users are not denied VA services, and bars the VA from flagging veterans to the federal gun background check system without a judge finding them dangerous. In agriculture and consumer protection, the measure provides over $118 billion for SNAP, funds rural water and broadband upgrades, and dedicates $200 million to crack down on unauthorized disposable e-cigarettes. Additionally, it freezes pay increases for members of Congress, extends workplace nursing protections to legislative employees, and increases funding for Capitol and lawmaker security.
People affected—Not determinable from the text provided. The bill impacts tens of millions of individuals across diverse groups (veterans receiving VA healthcare and benefits, SNAP recipients, military service members, and federal agricultural/congressional personnel), but specifies no aggregate population count.
Fiscal magnitude—Not determinable from the text provided. While individual line items and transfers are specified (including $118,140,341,000 for SNAP in Sec. 787, $900 million in Sec. 251, and various multi-million dollar construction and administrative amounts), the text provides an incomplete set of accounts and general provisions rather than the full consolidated topline appropriations.
Reach60provisional · pending reviewrigor: heuristic llm
What this bill touches.
Spending vs. restraint+20Abortion policySubstance use & mental health+30Firearms−25Military budget+25Trade & tariffs−25Veterans' care delivery+35Internet & broadband+15SNAP & nutrition+18Farm policy & subsidies+25Public works+25Native American affairs+30Animal protection+25
Who it helps · who it burdens.
Who it helps
- Veterans with service-connected infertilityAuthorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to use medical funds to provide fertility counseling, assisted reproductive technology (including in vitro fertilization and unlimited embryo storage), and adoption reimbursements to veterans with service-connected infertility (Sec. 233(a)).
- Veterans participating in state-approved medical marijuana programsProhibits the Department of Veterans Affairs from denying healthcare benefits or interfering with medical treatment for veterans who participate in state-approved medical marijuana programs, and allows VA physicians to complete state forms (Sec. 261).
- Legislative branch nursing employeesExtends Fair Labor Standards Act workplace protections, including lactation breaks and private lactation spaces, to legislative branch employees under the Congressional Accountability Act (Sec. 212).
- Domestic iron and steel manufacturersBans procurement of steel for military construction if domestic producers were denied an opportunity to compete, and mandates the use of American iron and steel in rural water and waste disposal construction projects (Sec. 108, Sec. 731(a)(1)).
- Tribal-owned and Native Hawaiian-owned contractorsExempts majority Tribal-owned and Native Hawaiian-owned businesses from certain federal competition restrictions when converting VA health administration, benefits, and cemetery functions to contract work (Sec. 235).
- Local law enforcement agencies providing Capitol mutual aidTransfers and appropriates tens of millions of dollars to reimburse local law enforcement departments for mutual aid and related training provided to the Capitol Police through fiscal year 2030 (Sec. 110, Sec. 213(b)).
Who it burdens
- Members of CongressFreezes congressional pay by blocking the statutory cost-of-living adjustment for Members of Congress during fiscal year 2026 (Sec. 211).
- Meat, poultry, and egg processing establishmentsAuthorizes the Food Safety and Inspection Service to charge meat, poultry, and egg processing facilities for inspection services provided outside approved shifts or on federal holidays (Sec. 729).
- VA patients with non-service-connected disabilitiesBars the VA from funding medical care for non-service-connected conditions unless patients disclose third-party health insurance details, and authorizes the VA to recover reasonable charges as a legal debt for noncompliance (Sec. 211).
- Guaranteed business and industry loan borrowersAuthorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to assess a one-time fee of up to 3 percent of the guaranteed principal amount on guaranteed business and industry loans (Sec. 717).
- Underperforming federal contractorsBars the VA and the Architect of the Capitol from paying award, incentive, or bonus fees to contractors whose work is late, over budget, or below satisfactory standards without specific exemptions (Sec. 120, Sec. 258).
Who opposes it
- Commercial horse slaughter operationsProhibits the Department of Agriculture from using funds to inspect horses for slaughter, effectively banning commercial horse slaughter for human consumption (Sec. 756).
- Huawei Technologies Company and ZTE CorporationProhibits legislative branch agencies from procuring telecommunications equipment manufactured by Huawei Technologies Company or ZTE Corporation (Sec. 208).
- Manufacturers and distributors of illicit electronic nicotine delivery systemsEarmarks at least $200 million from tobacco user fees for FDA enforcement against illicit e-cigarettes and flavored disposable vapes, and authorizes seizing illicit imports (Sec. 773(a), (d)).