Senate panel approves $3.5B for VA’s Oracle EHR rollout

The Senate Appropriations Committee advanced a fiscal year 2026 funding package totaling $153.5 billion that includes $3.5 billion to continue modernizing the Department of Veterans Affairs’ EHR system.

The allocation is part of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MilCon-VA) Appropriations Act, which passed the committee in a bipartisan 26-3 vote, according to a July 17 news release from the committee.

The EHR funding supports the VA’s plans to resume deployments of its modernized Oracle Health EHR platform at 13 sites in 2026, with expansion to 26 sites the following year. The rollout had previously been paused amid concerns over patient safety, system performance, and training shortfalls.

The $3.5 billion investment is included within a broader $5.9 billion appropriation for VA information technology systems.