Heard on the Hill 
September/October 2025 

We are officially in a government shutdown after the Senate failed to secure the sixty votes needed to pass a continuing resolution (CR) to fund agencies before the September 30 fiscal year (FY26) deadline.

VA’s advanced appropriations mean Veterans healthcare and benefits will continue unaffected, but concerns remain about potential layoffs if the shutdown continues for any length of time - many reports have noted the Administration's willingness to continue downsizing agencies. 

I urge all of you to continue your advocacy on behalf of VA and let your congressional members know what you need to take care of Veterans. Remind them about NOVA’s opposition to bills that will drain VA of its internal services.

Get to know several bills NOVA is monitoring that have been frequently discussed during this session. H.R. 740/S. 275, the “Veterans’ Assuring Critical Care Expansions to Support Servicemembers (ACCESS) Act of 2025.” These companion bills contain provisions which, if enacted, may significantly affect future veterans' access to VHA health care and services.

NOVA is advocating against several harmful provisions in the bill that would:

1. Allow a veteran’s “preference” for the first time, to automatically afford eligibility for community care. This would erode the VHA’s organizing foundation, which may eventually lead to changes in its staffing levels, in-house programs, and facility operations.
2. Permit veterans to access private sector healthcare without VHA referral, pre-authorization, or oversight that will also alter the integrated care model of the VHA, shifting its primary function from a provider of healthcare to a payer for private sector services.
3. While the intention is to vastly expand veterans’ preference and choice, these changes reduce healthcare options for many veterans when specialized VHA programs and facilities are scaled back or closed.

Removing the VHA as the authorizer of care may eventually decrease available choices for veterans. As funds shift to the private sector, some veterans—particularly those with service-connected conditions who depend primarily on the VHA—could face fewer opportunities to select VHA services if essential units and programs are discontinued.

The bill cost would also drain internal VHA accounts – risking privatization of many VA services.

As we move into the final months of the first session of the 119th Congress, I encourage all of you to call your congressional offices and let them know that NOVA opposes the ACCESS Act as currently written.

Your voice is critical during this extraordinary time. VA faces many changes, but one thing remains certain – it is where most Veterans choose to receive their care.

For information on the ACCESS Act / statement for the record, here is an article published by the Veterans Healthcare Policy Veterans-ACCESS-Act-VHPI-analysis-2.15.25.pdf