Washington, D.C. — As the federal government shutdown enters its second week, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mike Bost (R-Ill.) is warning that the political stalemate in Congress is putting veterans’ programs and military families in jeopardy.
In two separate appearances this week, one on Bloomberg’s Balance of Power and another during a Republican leadership press conference on Capitol Hill, Bost blasted Senate Democrats for “holding the government hostage” and urged them to pass the House-passed continuing resolution (CR) to restore funding.
“It’s not a game,” Bost said Thursday. “This shutdown affects real people — veterans and servicemembers — lives.”
Veterans’ Services and Grant Programs in Jeopardy
During his October 7 interview on Bloomberg, Bost said that while core VA healthcare services remain funded through advance appropriations, a range of essential support programs are “in limbo” until the Senate acts.
“You know, Joe, I think it’s a case where we need to make sure the Senate today makes the vote,” Bost told Balance of Power host Joe Mathieu. “Every day the shutdown goes on, more pain is felt by more people. And as Chairman of the VA, I know when we are going to start seeing those shortfalls.”
Bost listed several programs at risk if the funding lapse continues, including:
- The Fox Grant Program, which contracts with community providers to deliver mental health support to veterans.
- Homelessness assistance programs, which fund transitional housing and support services for veterans at risk.
- Career counseling through the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) for servicemembers leaving the military.
- Nursing home and in-home care services for disabled and aging veterans.
“These are all on contract,” Bost said. “We’re trying to work with Secretary Collins to make sure those keep going. But each day we go farther, that is the more and more dangerous.”
He emphasized that Congress must authorize these “outside” VA programs, which are distinct from the department’s direct healthcare services. “Right now, we are already operating without the ability of Congress to authorize those particular side contracts,” Bost said. “We in the House have done our job. We sent the Senate a clean bill. Those holdouts need to go ahead and open government.”
Education Benefits and Servicemember Pay at Risk
At a Republican leadership press conference on October 9, Bost expanded his warnings, saying the shutdown is already disrupting veterans’ education benefits and could soon affect military pay.
“Half of the people surveyed with a GI Bill say they’re not getting payments to their universities,” he said. “When they try to call to make sure their education will continue, there’s no one there to answer the phones.”
He added that many young servicemembers and their families could soon go without paychecks if the shutdown persists past October 15.
“As someone who was once a young Marine, newly married and living paycheck to paycheck, I know what that feels like,” Bost said. “When payday comes and all of a sudden there’s no pay — rent’s still due, and food still has to go on the table.”
“Time for Democrats to Quit Playing Games”
Bost accused Senate Democrats of ignoring the real-world effects of the shutdown. He said the House-passed continuing resolution included the necessary provisions to protect veterans’ programs and pay military personnel, but the Senate has refused to bring it to a vote.
“All of these things that I talked about were in that continuing resolution,” Bost said. “It’s time for the Democrats to quit playing games with those people who they claim that they’re for — our veterans and those who serve this nation.”
A Growing Impact Nationwide
Bost’s warnings come as the shutdown’s effects ripple through the nation. While essential VA healthcare continues, many grant-funded and contract-based services — from mental health counseling to veteran housing support — face disruptions. Thousands of veterans’ education claims have reportedly been delayed, and active-duty families are preparing for missed paychecks.
Republican leaders, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), have echoed Bost’s message, saying the Senate must “do its job” and end the crisis.
“The Senate has had the opportunity to end this shutdown and chose not to,” Johnson said earlier this week.
As the impasse drags on, Bost said he remains focused on veterans’ needs. “The fear that I have for them,” he said, “is that as this goes on, it will only get worse.”
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