News release   Rep. Mike Garcia’s legislation, H.R. 9468, the Veterans Benefits Continuity and Accountability Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024, was officially signed into law, securing critical benefits for 7 million veterans, said a news release from Garcia’s office.  This legislation addresses the $2.883 billion budget shortfall at the Department of Veterans Affairs, ensuring that veterans’ benefits payments continue uninterrupted starting Oct. 1, the release said.  “As soon as I heard about the VA budget shortfall, I made a commitment to the veterans of CA-27 (27th Congressional District) that I would fix the problem and ensure they received their benefits on time. This legislation delivers on that commitment. We can’t afford to leave these heroes who answered their nation’s call to duty high and dry without the medical care and GI Bill benefits they earned,” Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, said in the release.   “This is a big win for our veterans, but they should never have been put into this stressful position in the first place. It’s unacceptable that the VA’s gross incompetence risked breaking the government’s promise to our heroes. I’m proud to have led the effort to step in where the VA failed and fix this before it became a disaster,” Garcia added.  Garcia’s legislation also implements oversight measures to identify the root cause of the shortfall and to prevent similar issues in the future. It mandates the VA to open its financial records to Congress and requires an independent investigation by the VA’s independent Inspector General to determine how such a large shortfall was allowed to occur.  “We can’t afford to just give the VA a blank check and expect the root cause of the issue to be solved. This isn’t just about funding — it’s about fixing a broken system and ensuring that our veterans aren’t left behind because of bureaucratic failures,” Garcia said in the release. “We owe it to them to honor their service and fulfill our country’s promise to them. We’ve made a commitment to these men and women, and we cannot afford to fall short.”  Garcia’s Veterans Benefits Continuity and Accountability Supplemental Appropriations Act received bipartisan support in Congress and was signed into law by President Joe Biden, the release said.  The post Garcia’s Veterans Benefits Continuity and Accountability Act signed into law   appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.