The Department of Agriculture and the Department of Veterans Affairs are federal agencies funded through annual federal appropriations for the fiscal year.
November 10, 2025
high
temporal
Federal departments are funded through congressional appropriations that cover fiscal-year operations.
A military separation form that records a service member’s length of service, job specialties, and awards is used to certify the formal end of service and the type of discharge, and that certification is a key factor in determining eligibility for benefits such as the GI Bill and Department of Veterans Affairs disability compensation.
November 10, 2025
high
procedural
Explains the administrative role of separation documentation in benefit eligibility.
Appropriations bills commonly provide funding for federal departments and areas such as the Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, military construction, and the legislative branch.
November 10, 2025
high
financial
Examples of agencies and program areas typically covered by individual appropriations bills.
A 2025 Gallup poll found that fewer than 35% of Americans rated the State Department, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Justice Department, the Federal Reserve Board and the Department of Veterans Affairs positively.
September 16, 2025
high
temporal
Overall approval levels for several federal agencies were below 35% in the 2025 poll.
The Department of Veterans Affairs' medical centers, outpatient clinics, and Vet Centers can remain open and operate normally during a lapse in federal appropriations if those operations are covered by advanced appropriations from Congress.
high
policy
Advanced appropriations are funding set in prior legislation that can allow certain federal programs to continue operating when current-year appropriations lapse.
Programs and services that rely on annual (current-year) appropriations can be suspended during a federal government shutdown, potentially resulting in employee furloughs and temporary unavailability of services such as hotlines, regional benefits office public access, transition briefings, and case management.
high
procedural
Services funded only through annual appropriations typically cease when funding lapses, while those funded by advanced appropriations continue.
VA national cemeteries can continue to conduct burials during a lapse in appropriations even if related activities such as grounds maintenance and placement of permanent headstones are suspended.
high
policy
Burial operations may be prioritized to continue despite other cemetery services being reduced during funding lapses.
Congressional appropriations are commonly structured as separate funding bills that can cover areas such as military construction and the Department of Veterans Affairs; the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration; and operations of the legislative branch.
high
structural
Lists typical subject-matter groupings found in federal appropriations legislation.
A discharge characterized as less-than-fully-honorable can limit a veteran's eligibility for GI Bill education benefits.
high
eligibility
Characterization of military discharge affects entitlement to VA-administered education benefits under the GI Bill.
Veterans whose military discharges are upgraded through a discharge review can become eligible for GI Bill education benefits as a result of the upgraded discharge status.
high
procedural
Discharge upgrades can change benefit eligibility determinations for education benefits administered by the VA.