House passes first 2025 spending bill, includes funding for Veterans Affairs

The House of Representatives passed its first spending bill for 2025 on Wednesday, which includes controversial funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and limits abortion access for the United States military and veterans.

The bill is the first of 12 appropriation bills that House Speaker Mike Johnson hopes to pass ahead of the August recess. It also includes funding for military construction projects, veterans housing, bars the VA from flying LGBTQ flags, and restricts access to gender-affirming care. It was passed in a 209-197 vote, which included the support of four Democrats, Politico reported.

The passage of the bill comes despite the White House's threat to veto the legislation. The Senate, which is led by Democrats, is also not expected to pass the legislation because of the abortion and LGBTQ riders.

“The bill makes good on the Republican commitment to bring bills to the floor that comply with the Fiscal Responsibility Act, while honoring our commitment to our nation’s veterans and our troops,” Texas GOP Rep. John Carter said, according to The Hill. “To honor that commitment, the bill provides full funding for health care and benefits for veterans. They have earned these benefits, and we are making good on our promise to them.”

The measure also lifts a ban on veterans taking part in medical marijuana programs, and includes an amendment that bolsters the use of artificial intelligence at the VA. 

Florida Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz accused Republicans of placing "poison pills" in the legislation, like abortion, that ensures it will fail to pass in the upper chamber.

“They’re putting policy issues where we have disagreements, like women’s contraceptives, women’s right to choose, they’re putting these things in these bills that have no reason to be there,” Moskowitz told NBC News.

Conservative California Rep. Mike Garcia defended the legislation, but admitted that it would need bipartisan support to pass the Senate. The bill did have some Democratic support in the House, from Reps. Jared Golden of Maine, Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, Mary Peltola of Alaska and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington.

“This isn’t an attempt to make a national abortion ban. This is just to make sure that every American taxpayer is not paying for these abortions,” Garcia told NBC News. “[But] we recognize that we’ll need bipartisan support. This is one of those issues that, so far, is one of the sticking points that prevents bipartisan support."