VA pulls the plug on Biden’s $77M EV-charger earmark

WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs today announced it has terminated a Biden-Administration mandate to spend $77 million on electric vehicle charging stations at VA facilities.

The money will instead be redirected to critical health care construction projects.

In fiscal year 2023, the Biden White House forced VA to divert $77 million from its construction and technology budget to build solar powered electric vehicle charging stations at VA facilities. The Democrat-controlled Congress approved this funding diversion, but the Biden Administration never spent any of the money, and not a single charging station was built.

The Democrats’ government shutdown this year gave VA the authority to return the $77 million to its construction and technology budget. VA Secretary Doug Collins exercised that authority Nov. 6, after deciding the money would be better spent on critical health care construction projects.

VA is still assessing how to reallocate all of the funding, but so far:

• $10 million will be redirected to upgrading VA’s Friendship House compensated work therapy residence in Oklahoma City.
• $21.3 million will be used to expand and renovate the MRI ward at the Providence VA Medical Center.
• $13.8 million will go to upgrade the radiation oncology unit at the G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VAMC in Jackson, Mississippi.

“In Joe Biden’s VA, the department was distracted by woke social-justice programs and green-energy boondoggles, but those days are long gone,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins. “VA exists to serve Veterans, and we’re making sure all of our resources go toward that noble purpose.”