Veterans stand to benefit from a $77-million funding package, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced.
The VA said the cash was previously allocated by the department under a Joe Biden administration initiative for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at its facilities.
It will now be used to improve health care infrastructure for veterans, the VA said, reflecting changing priorities in how federal resources for ex-military staff are spent.
Newsweek contacted the VA and the Democratic National Committee via email outside of regular working hours for further comment.
Why It Matters
The reallocation of funds highlights evolving debates over climate policy, infrastructure, and the needs of American veterans.
It comes in the wider context of additional private and public sector efforts, like recent workforce development grants, to enhance support for veterans.
What To Know
The VA claimed the $77 million in question was initially designated in fiscal year 2023, when the Biden White House instructed the department to divert this amount from its construction and technology budget toward building solar-powered EV charging stations at its facilities.
The Biden-era policy received congressional approval at the time, when Democrats controlled both the White House and Congress, but no chargers were ultimately installed, and none of the funds were spent on this project, according to a VA press release.
Although the Biden administration did not publicly state that the VA would allocate a specific portion of its budget to build solar-powered EV charging stations, it did consistently support electric vehicle infrastructure efforts, including funding a nationwide charging network through programs established under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The $7.5 billion set aside under the 2021 law was dedicated to building a national EV charging network, but not drawn directly from the VA’s budget.
While the VA has launched its own efforts—such as installing solar-powered charging stations at its facilities—it has not publicly disclosed how much funding is earmarked for the project.
In January 2025, the outgoing Biden administration announced $635 million would go toward expanding EV charging stations nationwide.
This year, a government shutdown led to a shift in authority, allowing the VA to restore the $77 million to its original construction and technology budget, according to the department.
VA Secretary Doug Collins exercised that authority on November 6, 2025. As a result, the funds will now be directed toward several health care improvement projects, including:
- $10 million for upgrades to the VA’s Friendship House compensated work therapy residence in Oklahoma City.
- $21.3 million to expand and renovate the MRI ward at Providence VA Medical Center in Rhode Island.
- $13.8 million to upgrade the radiation oncology unit at G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi.
What People Are Saying
VA Secretary Doug Collins said: “In Joe Biden’s VA, the department was distracted by woke social-justice programs and green-energy boondoggles, but those days are long gone. VA exists to serve veterans, and we’re making sure all of our resources go toward that noble purpose.”
A White House fact sheet from the Biden-Kamala Harris administration, released on the three-year anniversary of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, said: “Since the start of the administration, over 15 federal agencies have developed, expanded, or adopted 125 categorical exclusions for projects with insignificant environmental impact in key sectors such as electric vehicle charging, broadband, semiconductor manufacturing, clean energy, and transmission.”
What Happens Next
The VA is still determining how remaining funds will be distributed, with a stated focus on projects “most critical” to improving veteran care.
The shift in funding priorities may help shape future debates about how best to address the needs of American veterans in relation to broader policy goals like climate change and infrastructure modernization.