Rep. Gabe Vasquez Supports $469 Billion in Funding to Support Veterans and Improve Quality of Life for New Mexico Servicemembers
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On May 15, 2026, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) voted in support of the Fiscal Year 2027 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, championing critical funding to improve quality of life for veterans and active-duty servicemembers in New Mexico.
“I’m proud to support these bipartisan, commonsense investments to improve services for veterans and active-duty servicemembers. This is where the heart of our VA and defense budget should be, not spent on a senseless, $29 billion-dollar war with no clear goal or objective,” said Vasquez. “Those who raise their hand to serve and protect our country, whether they are currently serving or served our nation honorably, deserve a good home, good health care, and a good life for their family.”
The bill provides $157 billion — a $4 billion increase over Fiscal Year 2026 — for veterans’ benefits, health care and housing, as well as critical investments in military infrastructure that support readiness and the military families. This bill passed the House with strong bipartisan support with a vote of 400-15, and it now heads to the Senate for consideration.
The bill provides $19.2 billion for the Department of Defense to make substantial investments in improving housing and child development centers for active-duty servicemembers and their families, including:
- $90 million in additional funding to upgrade barracks and on-base child development centers
- $50 million in additional funding for the oversight of privatized family housing for servicemembers and other investments in DoD family housing
The bill also includes $450.29 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs to make health care, education, and other benefits more affordable and accessible for veterans, including:
- Full funding for veterans’ health care programs at $138.2 billion and $54.6 billion the Toxic Exposures Fund
- Over $2 billion to make much-needed capital improvements at VA Medical Facilities and four national cemeteries
- $349 million for the Office of Rural Health, which studies the specific needs of rural veterans and the barriers they face to accessing care, as well as the challenges of delivering health care services in rural areas
- Stable funding levels for research, mental health programs, and other services veterans rely on for their wellbeing
- A provision urging the Department of Veterans Affairs to make much-needed increases to the Post 9/11 GI Bill Books & Supplies Stipend
Rep. Vasquez also introduced amendments to the bill to maximize benefits for New Mexicans, including:
- Veteran Education Assistance Adjustment Act – legislation led by Vasquez to increase the annual book and supply stipend for student veterans from $1,000 to $1,400 to account for inflation. The stipend has not been adjusted since 2008. The bipartisan bill has earned 40 cosponsors and advanced out of subcommittee in February 2026.
- New Mexico Rural Veteran Health Care Access Act – legislation introduced by Vasquez to allow veterans in Otero and Eddy Counties to access care through the El Paso Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), bringing care closer to home for many southern New Mexico veterans.
- Las Cruces Bataan Memorial Clinic Act – legislation to rename the Community-Based Outpatient Clinic in Las Cruces. The rename would memorialize the over 1,800 New Mexicans who were killed during World War II. Nearly half of the New Mexicans who served in Bataan died in battle, as prisoners of war, and after liberation.
Rep. Vasquez also recently met with local veterans and community leaders at the Lincoln Otero County Veterans Leadership Council (LOCVLC) monthly meeting in Alamogordo to hear their concerns and celebrate recent progress on the Congressman’s legislation supporting veterans and active-duty service members living in rural communities across southern New Mexico.
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