Fisher House Availability Act of 2026

Floor Speech

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Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chair Bost for yielding time to me.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my bill, the Fisher House Availability Act. This life-changing bill would ease the burden on the families of veterans staying in Fisher Houses across the country by making lodging more accessible for veterans, servicemembers, and their families during treatment.

Thousands of American families travel long distances every year to accompany their veteran loved one so that they can receive serious medical treatment at VA facilities.

The Fisher House Foundation provides those families with a helping hand through free, safe lodging. The Fisher House Foundation and their many volunteers make a painful time bearable.

Fisher Houses help bridge the gap for veterans and their families when care becomes difficult instead of easy. What better mission than to provide a place to stay while their loved one, servicemember, or veteran receives the medical care they need.

The value of these homes can be understood by their numbers. Over the past 30 years, Fisher Houses have served 500,000 people, kept $650 million in people's wallets, and offered 12.5 million nights of lodging.

More than the numbers, however, the value can be understood through the stories, as founder Zachary Fisher put it, hardships we helped ease and friendships we helped form.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe and United States Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom were tragically attacked last year here in D.C. Fisher House provided shelter to the loved ones of Staff Sergeant Wolfe while he received care at a VA-owned home. This is an example of the mission being met.

However, this story is an exception, not the standard. Staff Sergeant Wolfe's family required a waiver in order to stay in the lodging due to burdensome regulations. We must do better, and my bill, the Fisher House Availability Act, would make it so that we can do better.

Under current law, a VA-owned Fisher House cannot let the family of a servicemember stay, even if there is space available, and veterans and military are used to space available. The family of a veteran cannot stay, either, if the veteran happens to need care from a non-VA medical facility.

Mr. Speaker, this interpretation of the law forces the door shut to vacant rooms when space is available that is meant to serve those who serve or who have served.

My bill would fix this issue head-on by not displacing veterans or veterans' families. It would only open the door for more of them. Further, the bill simply ensures that servicemembers have access to available lodging.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to the Fisher House Foundation and to Chairman Bost for supporting this bill, and I am proud to address this issue on behalf of the veteran and military families I know it will help across the country.

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