The Senate on Tuesday approved $20,000 to fix electronic copies of government documents and other electronic devices in federal offices, but it did not provide details on what changes would be made to help improve the quality of those documents.
The $20.7 million would be used to buy more than 100,000 digital devices, and to buy additional office paper and paperboard, according to a Senate Appropriations Committee report.
The committee was looking for $1.5 million for the purchase of a new, more efficient photocopy device, the report said.
The report did not name the agency that would receive the funds, but said the Department of Veterans Affairs would receive $500,000.
The VA would also be asked to improve electronic information on the devices, including the ability to save paper copies of documents, according the report.
The VA has faced criticism over its handling of documents and information related to the VA health care system and the VA’s failure to respond to questions about the deaths of two veterans in 2016 and 2017.
Veterans groups have also questioned whether the VA is being transparent about its data security, which they say is lacking.
The Senate has until Jan. 15 to approve the spending proposal, and the House of Representatives is expected to take up the matter shortly after that.
The House passed the $20 billion plan by a vote of 227-198, with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., voting with Republicans.
The bill is likely to be voted on in the Senate later this week.
