House fails to pass $2 billion VA Choice funding bill

The U.S. House of Representatives couldn’t pass a bill to add $2 billion in funding to VA Choice Monday evening after it didn’t garner a two-thirds majority, a necessary step after House leaders attempted to bypass normal debate.House GOP leadership hoped to pass the funding bill before its August recess, as the program is expected to run out money some time in early- to mid-August. But the largely party-line 219-186 vote didn’t meet the supermajority threshold. During the first three quarters of this fiscal year, 1.2 million veterans received care from more than 500,000 community providers.Currently, veterans who receive care through the VA can go to a provider in the community if they cannot get an appointment within 30 days of a doctor’s recommendation of when they should be seen, or