The US House of Representatives has approved Representative Greg Steube’s (R-FL) bill banning the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from using its resources to aid illegal immigrants.
Representative Steube’s legislation was an amendment to a broader bill on military funding.
Steube’s move was incited by VA officials admitting they assisted illegal immigrants process their medical claims.
A Department of Homeland Security 2022 report corroborates such admissions, outlining how the VA works with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to aid with illegal immigration healthcare processing.
According to the report, ICE works with “the Department of Veterans Affairs Financial Services Center (VAFSC) to process medical claims reimbursements” for detained nonresidents.
Steube explained his bill was a direct response to the reports.
“After the alarming admission by the VA that VA employees indeed assist ICE with processing medical claims for illegals, our nation’s veterans are owed an apology – particularly those who have suffered unsatisfactory VA experiences. However, our government must do better than apologies,” Steube said. “Today, my amendment passed the House to ensure not a single dime of Americans’ taxpayer dollars will continue funding this insulting arrangement.”
Earlier in the year, Steube wrote to VA Secretary Denis McDonough demanding answers regarding early reports of the VA assisting illegal immigrants with their healthcare.
Steube’s home state of Florida has has the third largest veteran population in the nation. According to Steube’s office, 1.4 million veterans reside in Florida, including 446,270 service-connected disabled veterans.
The VA has been peppered with complaints regarding its subpar healthcare services and backlogs of hundreds of thousands of cases.
Consequently, conservatives have been incinerated upon learning the VA was diverting its already limited resources to aiding illegal aliens who have not served in the US military.
Steube’s amendment will now head to the Senate with the broader military funding legislation for consideration.
