SLC Times

Senators Mike Lee and Tommy Tuberville have proposed the Veterans First Act of 2025, designed to reallocate taxpayer money from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to state veteran home repairs. The legislation seeks to address outstanding repair needs in homes for veterans using funds previously assigned to USAID. This initiative follows actions from the Trump administration to largely shut down the agency, after criticisms arose over its spending on certain priorities.

The bill aims to redirect $2 billion from USAID to support housing and hospital projects for U.S. veterans. Senator Lee commented, “Our bill takes 2 billion dollars that was going to be thrown into the USAID money pit and distributed to radical progressive causes across the globe, and instead puts it toward desperately needed housing and hospitals for the men and women who defend America...”

Senator Tuberville criticized previous allocations under the Biden administration, stating that USAID funds were used for projects not benefiting U.S. veterans directly. He highlighted the current inadequacies in veteran home conditions and noted the delays caused by funding constraints. Tuberville said, "Let’s be honest, USAID was largely being used as a Democrat slush fund under Joe Biden...our own veterans are living in horrible conditions." He emphasized the importance of providing adequate homes as a means of honoring veterans’ service.

Representative Dave Taylor, leading the effort in the House, also expressed concern over past spending priorities. He pointed out, “Under the Biden-Harris Administration, taxpayer dollars were wastefully sent overseas...Under President Trump, Republicans are getting our Nation’s priorities straight and our Heroes are at the top of the list.”

The proposed legislation focuses on ensuring that federally-funded projects needing state-matching contributions for veteran homes do not face prolonged delays. It aims to reshape national spending to prioritize veterans.