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Investing in our Veterans
This week, the House voted to pass the 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. This bill provides important investments that protect the American people. It also supports our veterans and active-duty service members, while funding overdue military construction and infrastructure upgrades.
Some of these investments include:
This bill also provides $970 million to fund the BRAVE program. This effort is designed to reduce veteran homelessness across the United States through rental support vouchers.
This bill now heads to the Senate for passage.
I Want to Hear From You
Supporting Water Quality in Wisconsin
Last week, I announced that Kenosha County would receive a $700,000 federal grant to address water quality and habitat restoration along the Pike River. The grant funding will support the Kenosha County Parks Department's work to restore both streambank and riparian habitat along the Pike River in Petrifying Springs Park.
As part of this project, Kenosha County Division of Parks will restore 3,280 feet of streambank, 12,040 square feet of in-stream habitat, and 5.2 acres of riparian habitat, repairing the ecological habitat of the Pike River.
 The current condition of the Pike River project area
Our state's natural resources are an important part of what makes Wisconsin a great place to live and work. In Congress, I've supported efforts to enhance our water quality including voting for $368 million in funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative program, through which this grant was awarded.
 An example of what the completed restoration project will look like
This important grant funding will help ensure that our rivers and parks remain available for future generations to enjoy.
You can read more about the project and grant funding here.
Listening to You
My priority is to be available and accessible to my constituents. Since taking office, I have held 38 in-person listening sessions, including four this year in Janesville, Beloit, Racine, and Kenosha, and monthly telephone town halls, which have drawn thousands of participants. I will continue to hold town halls of all types to hear directly from you about the issues that matter to you most.
On Monday, I held my June telephone town hall. We covered issues ranging from Medicare and Social Security, to the conflict in the Middle East and working across the political divide. It was great to hear from you about your priorities and share some of the issues I am working on in Congress.
I began our call by addressing some of the misinformation circulating about Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid within the One Big Beautiful Bill.
The One Big Beautiful Bill protects Social Security and Medicare benefits for our seniors, two important programs that many rely on. I remain committed to protecting these important programs.
This bill also protects and strengthens Medicaid. It is critical that we focus government programs on the individuals they are designed to serve. The House-passed bill will protect pregnant women, disabled Americans, and children.
Key reforms will protect Medicaid for vulnerable individuals. The reforms will also encourage and reward work. This includes instituting a 20 hour per week work requirement for able-bodied, childless adults.
Our first question was from Diane from Trevor, who asked about the strike against Iran, particularly whether the President needs to obtain immediate approval from Congress.
You can read my statement on Iran below.
Read more about our discussion here.
As always, feel free to contact my office if you have any questions, want to share an opinion, or are having trouble with a federal agency.
On Wisconsin,
Bryan Steil
Member of Congress
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