Paul, one of the 11 who opposed the bill, argued that it would jeopardize the economy and that it might be handled improperly because it might be difficult for veterans to demonstrate that their medical conditions were brought on by their time in the military.

The effort to block the legislation caused an uproar among veterans groups, with critics arguing that aid for veterans was being held hostage over GOP opposition to another measure, the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes significant amount of money to combat climate change and lower health care costs.