Congress approves $1.76 billion for new VA hospital in St. Louis.

What it does

The bill lets the Department of Veterans Affairs spend up to $1.76 billion in fiscal year 2026. The money will build a new hospital complex in St. Louis, Missouri. The complex will have a bed tower, clinical expansion, office building, warehouse, utility plant, and parking. The money is approved but not yet set aside. Congress must pass a separate bill to actually spend it.

Who it affects

Veterans in the St. Louis region will get access to a new VA hospital with more space. The project improves care for veterans without costing ordinary citizens.

One thing to notice

Approval does not mean the money is set aside. Congress must pass a separate bill to actually spend it. Any cost overruns would need more approval from Congress.

From the analysis of the bill text, linked under Primary records below.

Where it stands

1 cosponsor: 1 Democrats.

• Jul 23, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
• Jul 23, 2025 — Referred to Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs”
• Jul 30, 2025 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably”
• Dec 17, 2025 — Passed the Senate · Congress.gov: “Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S8873-8874; text: CR S8873-8874)”
• May 19, 2026 — Floor vote scheduled · Congress.gov: “Mr. Bost moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill”
• May 20, 2026 — Passed both chambers · Congress.gov: “On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 405 - 5…”
• Jun 2, 2026 — Sent to president · Congress.gov: “Presented to President”
• Jun 9, 2026 — Signed into law · Congress.gov: “Became Public Law No: 119-97”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

2 groups reported lobbying about this bill. They filed 3 reports from Dec 2025 to Jun 2026.

Those reports show $75,000 in lobbying spending. Each report lists about 10 bills. So that money was not all for this bill.

More groups named this bill than 41% of bills with any report.

Jerry Moran, who sponsored the bill, received $390,050 from PACs for the 2026 election.

• Signatory Wall and Ceiling Contractors Alliance — $40,000 in 1 report
• Los Angeles Department of Water and Power — $35,000 in 2 reports

Lobbying is legal. These reports show who lobbied about this bill, not what changed.

Words to know

• fiscal year 2026 — The government's budget year from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026.
• Department of Veterans Affairs — The government agency that provides care and benefits to veterans.
• lobbying — Trying to influence lawmakers about a bill. Companies and groups pay people to do this.
• PACs — Groups that collect money and give it to candidates for office.
• sponsored — To sponsor a bill is to introduce it in Congress and put your name on it.