H.R. 4673 · 117TH CONGRESSIntroduced · Jan 20, 2022
EVEST Act
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Step 1 of 6 · Introduced
On Passage
On Passage
On Agreeing to the Amendment
On Agreeing to the Amendment
On January 20, 2022, the House of Representatives voted 228–198 to approve an amendment to H.R. 4673, the Ensuring Veteran Smooth Transition (EVEST) Act. The passage of this amendment moved the underlying bill forward, which aims to automatically enroll eligible veterans into the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system as they transition out of active military service. The EVEST Act is designed to simplify the healthcare process for veterans by shifting from an opt-in application system to an automatic enrollment model, though veterans would retain the right to opt out if they choose. Proponents of the bill argue it reduces administrative hurdles and ensures immediate access to mental and physical health services, while critics have raised concerns regarding the VA’s current capacity to handle a sudden influx of new enrollees and the potential budgetary impact. The vote was largely split along party lines. All 220 voting Democrats
On Motion to Recommit
On Motion to Recommit
On January 20, 2022, the House of Representatives voted on a "Motion to Recommit" regarding H.R. 4673, the Ensuring Veteran Eligibility with Trustworthy (EVEST) Act. This procedural motion was a final attempt by the minority party to send the bill back to committee for changes before a final vote; its failure allowed the House to proceed with the bill as originally written. The EVEST Act itself is designed to simplify how veterans access healthcare by requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to automatically enroll eligible veterans in the VA healthcare system as they transition out of active military service. Currently, veterans must manually apply for these benefits, a process that proponents argue can lead to gaps in care. The vote followed strict party lines, with all 206 Republicans voting "Yea" in favor of the motion and all 221 Democrats voting "Nay" against it. Because the motion failed to