VA prepares for potential government shutdown

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(The Center Square) – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said Tuesday that it is ready for a potential funding lapse and will continue to care for veterans and their families. 

Most of the department's employees will remain on the job helping veterans even in the case of a full or partial government shutdown, in part because the VA gets advance funding from Congress. Department officials said 97% of the VA's more than 400,000 employees are fully funded or required to perform excepted functions during a shutdown.

About 417,447 employees are exempt because they are funded by an advance appropriation, multi-year funding or carryover, including 403,159 Veterans Health Administration employees. The total number of exempt and excepted employees is 446,625. The number of employees not otherwise exempt or excepted is 14,874, according to the department's plans.

A shutdown won't affect medical care for veterans. VA Medical Centers, outpatient Clinics, and Vet Centers will be open. The department will continue to process and deliver VA benefits, including compensation, pension, education and housing benefits. Burials will continue at VA national cemeteries. Applications for headstones, markers, and burial benefits processing will continue. And the Board of Veterans' Appeals will continue to make decisions on veterans' cases. VA Contact Centers (1-800-MyVA411) and the Veterans Crisis Line (Dial 988, Press 1) are open 24/7. Suicide prevention programs, homelessness services and caregiver support will also continue, officials said.

Some operations will cease if funding lapses. For example, VA will not provide veteran career counseling or transition assistance program activities, the GI Bill Hotline will be closed, VA benefits regional offices will be closed and VA will stop public affairs and outreach to Veterans.

Republicans and Democrats are blaming each other for the potential shutdown.

Republicans' Continuing Resolution – which the Senate will vote on again Tuesday – would extend existing government funding levels until Nov. 21, buying lawmakers time to pass all 12 annual appropriations bills for fiscal year 2026.

Democrats oppose the bill because they say that a funding stopgap should also address health care policy, particularly the upcoming expiration of the enhanced Obamacare Premium Tax Credit. Their counter-proposal, which also failed in the Senate, includes health care-related policy riders costing up to $1.4 trillion.

Reporter Thérèse Boudreaux contributed to this report.