After 43 days of a Democrat-driven shutdown, the government finally reopened last week. This legislation was identical to a package that Republican leadership offered in the Senate weeks ago, showing that this entire situation was political and avoidable. This legislation responsibly reopened the government and fully funded three appropriations bills: Agriculture, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. This means that SNAP, WIC, and the VA will be operating and fully funded through the end of the Fiscal Year in September of 2026.
In the Agriculture appropriations bill, under USDA Rural Development, I successfully secured funding for the Oklahoma University’s Health Science Center to develop the OK NeuroNet. As the state’s only comprehensive academic health system, this funding will help OU improve health outcomes, especially in rural parts of Oklahoma. The state’s rural geography, combined with a shortage of neurologists, creates barriers to accessing timely and quality neurological care. To overcome these challenges, the OK NeuroNet aims to leverage telemedicine to increase rural Oklahomans’ access to academic neurologists, delivering high-quality care statewide. Also included in the agriculture portion of the package is a provision to help combat the New World Screwworm, something that threatens Oklahoma ranchers. The Trump Administration has been working to prevent an infestation in North American cattle, and we must continue to closely monitor this dangerous parasite. Additionally, the Agriculture bill includes full-year funding for SNAP and WIC, ensuring that those who truly need these programs are supported.
The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill also includes several important year-long provisions that directly strengthen care and support for veterans. It ensures that VA health care benefits remain focused on American veterans and not individuals who have entered the country illegally. It protects the Second Amendment rights of our veterans by improving the accuracy of the VA system that determines firearm restrictions and prevents wrongful reporting. The bill also secures funding for critical military infrastructure in Oklahoma, including continued progress on the E7 Wedgetail program at Tinker Air Force Base. Also, within the continuing resolution, was a two hundred-million-dollar transfer that keeps the program on schedule by supporting ongoing prototyping work needed to move toward production.
After more than 40 days of the shutdown, I was proud to support this package and help reopen our government. More concerning, however, is that 207 House Democrats still voted against reopening, paying our federal workers and troops, and against benefits for our veterans, farmers, and rural communities.
