Central ND News

Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Committee, recognized the service of U.S. Armed Forces veterans on Veterans Day. He highlighted several priorities included in the Fiscal Year 2026 Milcon-VA Appropriations bill, which is part of an agreement to reopen the government and is currently moving through Congress.

“Our nation’s veterans have served honorably and made tremendous sacrifices to secure our liberties and keep us safe. Every day, but particularly on Veterans Day, we pay tribute to these brave Americans and thank them for their service,” said Hoeven. “The best way to honor our veterans is by providing them with the benefits and recognition that they have earned. We included important provisions in this year’s Milcon-VA funding bill to ensure that we keep our nation’s promise to care for those who have served so honorably, including better access to care as well as a provision to help advance the Veterans Memorial Center at the Fargo National Cemetery.”

The appropriations bill includes strong funding for veterans’ medical care and benefits. It supports construction of infrastructure at Rural Initiative national cemeteries such as Fargo National Cemetery and prioritizes projects with state and local contributions, similar to efforts led by Hoeven’s working group for the Veterans Memorial Center.

The legislation also aims to improve access to long-term care for veterans by recruiting more partners and encouraging permanent exemptions from certain Department of Labor contracting requirements for providers. It expands access to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) by supporting further research into its use for post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury, while allowing case-by-case referrals through VA Community Care.

For North Dakota military construction priorities, Hoeven secured continued support for nuclear modernization at Minot Air Force Base. The bill directs the Air Force to prioritize security enhancements at the base’s Weapons Storage Area and develop a timeline for constructing Sentinel launch facilities across all three missile bases.

Additional measures include $1.5 million in extra funding for the North Dakota National Guard’s Jamestown Readiness Center. There is also a provision ensuring that Army National Guard lodging needs are met at locations like Camp Grafton’s Regional Training Institute; this housing project has full design approval and received $2 million in previous fiscal year funding.