Heard on the Hill

December 2025

Teresa Morris

We are officially in the last few weeks of the first session of the 119^th Congress.

The government has been funded through January 30, but VA remains fully funded as the continuing resolution (CR) that was cleared last month included FY26 funding for all the Department of Veterans Affairs.

December is always a busy time on the Hill – as I write this there are several legislative packages awaiting final negotiations. Both the House and Senate VA Committees continue to work on final text of ACCESS Act and Senator Blumenthal has introduced the HONOR Act, which NOVA strongly supports.

The bill will advance many of NOVA’s legislative priorities by mandating training for community care providers, offering real-time wait time data, and sharing provider qualifications to help veterans make informed healthcare choices. It includes funding for nurse education, special pay for nurse leaders, supports VA mentorship programs, expands the Inspector General’s investigative authority, increases telehealth options, and enforces consistent provider standards.

As the bills move through the process next session, NOVA will continue offering our comments and suggestions to help strengthen language for VA and its workforce.

As the first session draws to a close, I urge everyone to contact their congressional offices to communicate NOVA’s support for legislation aimed at increasing staffing levels and improving access to care for all Veterans (Honor Act is a great example). Please also emphasize our opposition to proposals that would remove the VHA as the authorizer of care or any provisions that could drain internal VHA accounts, as these measures risk the privatization of key VA services. This includes Access Act and others available on the NOVA advocacy website -NOVA Advocacy Toolkit

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.

A great way to advocate on behalf of VA nurses is to join NOVA for our 2026 Hill Day, scheduled for March 19 and 20.  Watch your emails for more information about registration and how you can help us educate and advocate for VA nurses and Veterans!