En bloc amendment to VA appropriations bill accepted by House

Members of the House on Thursday night approved what appears to be one of the few amendments to H.R. 2055, the 2012 appropriations bill for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and related agencies.

The en bloc amendment from Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas) would increase funding for suicide prevention outreach to veterans, reduce wait times for mental health services and increase funding for research into prosthetics. The amendment was quickly approved on a voice vote.

The bipartisan appropriations bill is not expected to be controversial. However, House Appropriations Committee ranking member Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) said he expects a Democratic amendment to be proposed that would eliminate language preventing funds in the bill from being used to implement an Obama administration executive order that Republicans say requires project labor agreements to be reached for certain large construction projects.

No such amendment was offered Thursday night by the time consideration of the bill concluded shortly after 8 p.m. House staffers said this amendment and possibly others are expected to be taken up as early as Friday, or possibly after the House returns from a weeklong recess on June 13.