WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, today released the following statement on the Senate passage of the Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2016 (H.R.5985):

“As members of Congress, our job is to make sure that veterans get the care and benefits they deserve,” said Isakson. “This crucial bill will ensure that vital Department of Veterans Affairs services, such as programs to help homeless veterans, continue into the new fiscal year. It will also protect certain veterans using Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits who may lose those benefits if their school loses its accreditation. This bill keeps our promise to our veterans, and I look forward to seeing it signed into law.”

The Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2016 authorizes VA’s services for the next fiscal year and ensures that the VA’s homeless programs and adaptive sports programs do not shut down. It also includes a provision that would allow the VA to protect veterans using VA education benefits if the Secretary of Education withdraws recognition of the agency that accredited a veteran’s school.

The Senate approved the Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2016 by a vote of 89-0. The House previously passed H.R.5985 on September 13, 2016, and the bill will now go to the president’s desk for his signature.

Watch Isakson’s floor remarks on the Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2016 here.

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The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs is chaired by U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., in the 114th Congress. Isakson is a veteran himself – having served in the Georgia Air National Guard from 1966-1972 – and has been a member of the Senate VA Committee since he joined the Senate in 2005. Isakson’s home state of Georgia is home to more than a dozen military installations representing each branch of the military as well as more than 750,000 veterans.