National Cemetery Administration Annual Report Act of 2026

Download PDF
Bill ID: 119/hr/7260
Last Updated: August 12, 2026

Sponsored by

Rep. Mackenzie, Ryan [R-PA-7]

ID: M001230

Follow the money

The bill

National Cemetery Administration Annual Report Act of 2026

HR. 7260, 119th Congress.

The sponsor

Rep. Mackenzie, Ryan [R-PA-7]

Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.

The money

$66,582 raised

21 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.

The alignment

85% match to Project 2025

This bill's text tracks the "Department of Transportation" section, p. 673-675 of the Mandate for Leadership.

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

May 13, 2026

Introduced

📍 Current Status

Next: The bill will be reviewed by relevant committees who will debate, amend, and vote on it.

🏛️

Committee Review

🗳️

Floor Action

✅

Passed House

🏛️

Senate Review

🎉

Passed Congress

🖊️

Presidential Action

⚖️

Became Law

📚 How does a bill become a law?

1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.

2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.

3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.

4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.

5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.

6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.

7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!

Bill Summary

Another masterpiece of bureaucratic busywork, courtesy of the 119th Congress. The National Cemetery Administration Annual Report Act of 2026 is a triumph of pointless paperwork and legislative navel-gazing.

**Main Purpose & Objectives:** To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit an annual report on the National Cemetery Administration's activities. Because, clearly, what this country needs is more reports. I'm sure the veterans are just dying (pun intended) for some exciting reading material.

**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill adds a new section to title 38 of the United States Code, requiring the Secretary to submit an annual report that includes a laundry list of irrelevant details, such as:

* Interment numbers by cemetery and category * Customer satisfaction assessments (because nothing says "satisfaction" like being buried in a national cemetery) * Maps of cemeteries (for those who enjoy armchair grave-hopping) * Descriptions of burial options (in case you were wondering what kind of dirt to be buried under)

**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The usual suspects: veterans, their families, and the National Cemetery Administration. Oh, and let's not forget the congressional committees that will get to "review" these reports and pretend they're doing something useful.

**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill is a perfect example of legislative myopia. It creates more bureaucratic red tape while accomplishing nothing meaningful for veterans or their families. The real impact will be on the poor souls who have to compile and review these reports, wasting taxpayer dollars on pointless paperwork.

In short, this bill is a classic case of " Legislative-itis": a disease characterized by an excessive love of reporting requirements, bureaucratic busywork, and a complete disregard for actual problem-solving. I diagnose this bill as suffering from a severe case of " Congressional- induced Coma" – it's a waste of time, money, and oxygen.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have better things to do than analyze more legislative nonsense. Next patient, please!

Related Topics

Federal Budget & AppropriationsMilitary & Veterans Affairs
Generated using Llama 3.1 70B (Dr. Haus personality)

💰 Campaign Finance Network

Rep. Mackenzie, Ryan [R-PA-7]

Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$66,582
19 donors
PACs
$0
Organizations
$500
Committees
$0
Individuals
$66,082

No PAC contributions found

1
JSA REAL ESTATE PC
1 transaction
$500

No committee contributions found

1
CAMERON, RONALD
2 transactions
$6,600
2
HAAHEIM, CAROLYN
2 transactions
$6,600
3
ARCHER, LYNNE
1 transaction
$3,382
4
BANKE, BARBARA
1 transaction
$3,300
5
HINMAN, ROY
1 transaction
$3,300
6
LEACH, HOWARD
1 transaction
$3,300
7
MCMAHON, JOYCE
1 transaction
$3,300
8
PATE, LUTHER S IV
1 transaction
$3,300
9
RICKETTS, MARLENE M.
1 transaction
$3,300
10
ROCKEFELLER, LISENNE
1 transaction
$3,300
11
JINKS, ALBERT
1 transaction
$3,300
12
MACKENZIE, VICTORIA MILOU
1 transaction
$3,300
13
VOLPE, CHARLES
1 transaction
$3,300
14
BRYDEN, LEWIS
1 transaction
$3,300
15
BUTZ, LEE
1 transaction
$3,300
16
DAUB, L. ANDERSON
1 transaction
$3,300
17
DOWD, JOHN J
1 transaction
$3,300
18
DOWD, TINA
1 transaction
$3,300

Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance

This bill has 1 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.

Rep. McGarvey, Morgan [D-KY-3]

ID: M001220

Top Contributors

22

1
EASTERN BAND OF CHEROKEE INDIANS
OrganizationCHEROKEE, NC
$3,300
Oct 26, 2024
2
LA CASITA CENTER
OrganizationLOUISVILLE, KY
$154
Oct 16, 2023
3
CALOBRACE, BRADLEY
SELF • PHYSICIAN
IndividualLOUISVILLE, KY
$6,600
Oct 18, 2024
4
BROWN, CAMPBELL
BROWN-FORMAN • PRESIDENT OLD FORESTER
IndividualLOUISVILLE, KY
$3,300
Oct 30, 2024
5
MEHROTRA, LOPA
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualGLENVIEW, KY
$3,300
Nov 5, 2024
6
MEHROTRA, RISHABH
AVIONTE • CEO
IndividualGLENVIEW, KY
$3,300
Nov 5, 2024
7
HELM, NELSON
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualLOUISVILLE, KY
$3,300
Dec 29, 2023
8
ROTH, EVAN
BBR PARTNERS • CO-CEO
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$3,300
Oct 18, 2023
9
CHRISTENSEN, JOSH
NORTON HEALTHCARE • PHYSICIAN
IndividualLOUISVILLE, KY
$3,300
Dec 3, 2023
10
SISCOVICK, TALIA
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualSTAMFORD, CT
$3,300
Oct 31, 2023

Donor Network - Rep. Mackenzie, Ryan [R-PA-7]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.

Loading...

Showing 46 nodes and 46 connections

Total contributions: $46

Top Donors - Rep. Mackenzie, Ryan [R-PA-7]

Showing top 19 donors by contribution amount

1 Org18 Individuals

Project 2025 Policy Matches

This bill shows semantic similarity to the following sections of the Project 2025 policy document.AI-enhanced analysis provides detailed alignment ratings.

Department of Transportation

Strong
Vector: 62%
Pages: 673-675AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill's focus on increased transparency and accountability within the National Cemetery Administration directly supports the Project 2025 VA mission of delivering veteran‑centric, best‑in‑class services through improved oversight and performance reporting."

Key themes:transparencyaccountabilityveteran‑centric servicescongressional oversightperformance metrics

— 640 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise ENDNOTES 1. U.S. Department of Transportation, 2023 Budget Highlights, p. 1, https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot. gov/files/2022-03/Budget_Highlights_FY2023.pdf (accessed March 3, 2023). 2. U.S. Department of Transportation, DEIA [Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility] Strategic Plan FY22– FY26, p. 2, https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2022-09/DOT%20DEIA%20Strategic%20Plan. pdf (accessed March 3, 2023). 3. 23 U.S. Code §§ 601–609, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/23 (accessed March 3, 2023). 4. U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of the Secretary, “Administrative Rulemaking, Guidance, and Enforcement Procedures,” Final Rule, Federal Register, Vol. 84, No. 248 (December 27, 2019), pp. 71714–71734, https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/regulations/361831/fed-reg-published-final-admin- rule.pdf (accessed March 3, 2023). 5. U.S. Department of Transportation, Build America Bureau, “About the Build America Bureau,” last updated October 24, 2022, https://www.transportation.gov/buildamerica/about (accessed March 3, 2023). 6. S. 622, Energy Policy and Conservation Act, Public Law No. 94-163, 94th Congress, December 22, 1995, https:// www.congress.gov/94/statute/STATUTE-89/STATUTE-89-Pg871.pdf (accessed March 3, 2023). 7. 42 U.S. Code Chapter 85, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/chapter-85 (accessed March 3, 2023). 8. U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards for Model Years 2024–2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks,” Final Rule, Federal Register, Vol. 87, No. 84 (May 2, 2022), pp. 25710–26092, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2022-05- 02/pdf/2022-07200.pdf (accessed March 10, 2023). 9. U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of the Secretary, “Defining Unfair or Deceptive Practices,” Final Rule, Federal Register, Vol. 85, No. 235 (December 7, 2020), pp. 78707–78718, https://www.transportation.gov/ sites/dot.gov/files/2020-12/Defining%20Unfair%20or%20Deceptive%20Practices%20Final%20Rule%20-%20 85%20FR%2078707.pdf (accessed March 3, 2023). 10. U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of the Secretary, “Procedures in Regulating Unfair or Deceptive Practices,” Final Rule, Federal Register, Vol. 87, No. 22 (February 2, 2022), pp. 5655–5659, https://www. govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2022-02-02/pdf/2022-01589.pdf (accessed March 3, 2023). 11. U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Budget Estimates Fiscal Year 2023, p. 1, https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2022-04/FAA_Budget_Estimates_FY2023.pdf (accessed March 3, 2023). 12. Robert W. Poole, Jr., Organization and Innovation in Air Traffic Control, Hudson Institute Initiative on Future Innovation, November 2013, https://www.hudson.org/sites/default/files/researchattachments/ attachment/1199/poole_hi_res.pdf (accessed March 3, 2023). Also published subsequently as Reason Foundation Policy Study No. 431, January 2014, https://reason.org/wp-content/uploads/files/air_traffic_ control_organization_innovation.pdf (accessed March 3, 2023). 13. H.R. 3684, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Public Law No. 117-58, 117th Congress, November 15, 2021, https://www.congress.gov/117/plaws/publ58/PLAW-117publ58.pdf (accessed March 3, 2023). 14. S. 6, Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964, Public Law 88-365, 88th Congress, July 9, 1964, https://www. govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-78/pdf/STATUTE-78-Pg302-2.pdf (accessed March 3, 2023). 15. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, “About Us,” last updated March 23, 2022, https:// www.maritime.dot.gov/about-us (accessed March 4, 2023). 16. H.R. 10378, Merchant Marine Act of 1920, Public Law 66-261, 66th Congress, June 5, 1920, https://govtrackus. s3.amazonaws.com/legislink/pdf/stat/41/STATUTE-41-Pg988.pdf (accessed March 3, 2023). — 641 — 20 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Brooks D. Tucker MISSION STATEMENT The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the primary provider of health care, benefits, and memorial affairs for America’s veterans and their families. The VA has the noble responsibility to render exceptional and timely support and services with respect, compassion, and competence. The veteran is at the forefront of every VA process and interaction. The VA must continually strive to be recognized as a “best in class,” “Veteran-centric”1 system with an organizational ethos inspired by and accountable to the needs and problems of veterans, not subservient to the parochial preferences of a bureaucracy. OVERVIEW At the end of the Obama Administration, the VA was held in low esteem both by the veterans it served and by the employees who served these former warriors. Eroding morale caused by the downstream effects of a health care access crisis in 2014 led to the resignation of Secretary Eric Shinseki and extensive oversight investigations by Congress from 2015–2016. By 2020, however, the VA had become one of the most respected U.S. agencies. This significant progress was due in part to the leadership of Secretary Robert Wilkie (2018–2021) and his team of political appointees and career senior executives, many of them veterans, who led the effort to ensure that the VA became “Veteran-centric” in its governance decisions and fostered a more positive work environment. This mindset translated into a department that was better attuned to employees’ and veterans’ needs and experiences in the daily operations of health care, benefits,

Department of Veterans Affairs

Strong
Vector: 61%
Pages: 688-691AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill's requirement for annual NCA reporting to Congress directly supports Project 2025's emphasis on increasing accountability and transparency within the Department of Veterans Affairs, thereby enhancing oversight and informed policymaking."

Key themes:VA accountabilitytransparencycongressional oversightveteran servicesperformance reporting

— 655 — Department of Veterans Affairs ENDNOTES 1. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Division, VHA Directive 1003, “VHA Veteran Patient Experience,” April 14, 2020, pp. 1 and B-1. 2. S. 2372, VA Mission Act of 2018, Public Law No. 115-182, 115th Congress, June 6, 2018, https://www.congress. gov/115/plaws/publ182/PLAW-115publ182.pdf (accessed January 30, 2023). 3. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VA History Office, “VA History,” last updated May 27, 2021, https://www. va.gov/HISTORY/VA_History/Overview.asp (accessed January 28, 2023). 4. 38 U.S. Code § 1116, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/38/1116 (accessed January 28, 2023). 5. S. 3373, Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022), Public Law No. 117-168, 117th Congress, August 10, 2022, https://www. congress.gov/117/plaws/publ168/PLAW-117publ168.pdf (accessed January 28, 2023). 6. H.R. 2471, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, Public Law No. 117-103, 117th Congress, March 15, 2022, Division S, Title I, https://www.congress.gov/117/plaws/publ103/PLAW-117publ103.pdf (accessed March 18, 2023). Known variously as the Department of Veterans Affairs Nurse and Physician Assistant Retention and Income Security Enhancement Act and the VA Nurse and Physician Assistant RAISE Act. 7. See note 5, supra.

Department of Veterans Affairs

Moderate
Vector: 61%
Pages: 679-681AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill's focus on transparency and reporting within the VA aligns with Project 2025's call for public reporting on VA operations to enable oversight and improvement, though it applies specifically to the National Cemetery Administration rather than the broader VHA healthcare system emphasized in the policy."

Key themes:transparencyaccountabilitypublic reportingVA oversightperformance metrics

— 646 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise 3. Section 121 (developing and administering an education program that teaches veterans about their health care options available from the Department of Veterans Affairs). 4. Section 152 (returning the Office for Innovation of Care and Payment to the Office of Enterprise Integration with a joint governance process set up with the VHA). 5. Section 161 (overhauling Family Caregiver Program expansion, which has gone poorly, so that it focuses on consistency of eligibility and awareness that the most severely wounded or injured may require the program indefinitely). l Require the VHA to report publicly on all aspects of its operation, including quality, safety, patient experience, timeliness, and cost-effectiveness, using standards similar to those in the Medicare Accountable Care Organization program so that the government may monitor and achieve continuous improvement in the VA system more effectively. l Encourage VA Medical Centers to seek out relevant academic and private- sector input in their communities to improve the overall patient experience. Budget l Conduct an independent audit of the VA similar to the 2018 Department of Defense (DOD) audit to identify IT, management, financial, contracting, and other deficiencies. l Assess the misalignment of VHA facilities and rising infrastructure costs. The VHA operates 172 inpatient medical facilities nationally that are an average of 60 years old. Some of these facilities are underutilized and inadequately staffed. Facilities in certain urban and rural areas are seeing significant declines in the veteran population and strong competition for fresh medical staff. In 2018, Congress authorized an Asset Infrastructure Review (AIR) of national VHA medical markets to provide insight into where the VA health care budget should be responsibly allocated to serve veterans most effectively. However, the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee lacked the political will to act on the White House’s nominations of commission members, and this ultimately led to termination of the AIR process. The next Administration should seek out agile, creative, and politically acceptable operational solutions to this aging infrastructure status quo,

Showing 3 of 5 policy matches

About These Correlations

Policy matches are calculated using a hybrid approach: initial candidates are found using semantic similarity between bill summaries and Project 2025 policy text, then an AI model (Llama 3.1 70B) provides detailed alignment ratings and analysis. Ratings range from 1 (minimal alignment) to 5 (very strong alignment). This analysis does not imply direct causation or intent.

Full Policy Text

Related Bills