Kansas Congressman Jake LaTurner says the federal government needs to reprioritize its spending habits, which is why he supports a bill to increase funding for veterans matters.
LaTurner says overall spending needs to be reduced, but he also says certain funding can be reallocated. Case in point: LaTurner voted earlier this month to advance the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies appropriation bill out of committee. On an interview airing Thursday on KVOE, LaTurner said the $16 billion increase will have several positive impacts for veterans.
On top of the pay raise and full funding of the PACT Act, the package funds health care programs, benefits, an electronic health record modernization plan and military construction like barracks, child development centers and family housing.
Besides his vote on the veterans affairs funding package, LaTurner also introduced bipartisan legislation to preserve AM radio — especially in electric vehicles but in vehicles as a whole. The AM for Every Vehicle Act will have AM radios in new cars at no cost to buyers.
The legislation would also have carmakers let buyers know if their vehicles don’t have AM radio — if the vehicles were made before the proposed regulation takes effect. This comes as car companies have increasingly removed AM radio, especially from electric vehicles, saying interference from electric motors increases static and noice on AM radio channels.
LaTurner is confident both bills will ultimately pass and get signed by President Biden.
A member of the House Appropriations Committee, LaTurner says the committee is changing how it handles and reviews funding packages — doing so on a case-by-case basis rather than combining all funding bills into an omnibus package and then voting, often without a full review.
