House Approves Record VA Budget

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House Approves Record VA Budget
VFW Calls for Quick Senate Action to Improve Care for America’s Veterans

WASHINGTON, June 20, 2007 – The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is hailing last Thursday’s House of Representatives vote as a landmark decision that follows through on campaign promises to boost Department of Veterans Affairs funding. VFW Commander-in-Chief Gary Kurpius is now calling for the Senate to act quickly so that a consolidated bill can be sent to President Bush before the federal government’s new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

“This is an unprecedented budget that will enable the VA to better plan and care for our wounded veterans of past, present and future,” exclaimed Kurpius, a Vietnam veteran from Anchorage, Alaska, who in February had also praised the president’s fiscal 2008 budget request of $87 billion as an excellent first step for America’s veterans.

“What the House has done is to exceed the president’s discretionary funding request by $2.5 billion, an amount that for the first time even tops The Independent Budget’s recommendation,” he said. The Independent Budget, now in its 21st edition, is co-authored by the VFW, AMVETs, Disabled American Veterans, and the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

“Our thanks and appreciation go out to House Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee Chairman Chet Edwards (D-Texas) and Ranking Member Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) and Ranking Member Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.), the House leadership, and virtually every member for setting politics aside and putting veterans first in their hearts and in their votes.” The bill passed 409-2.

H.R. 2642, the 2008 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill, would increase the VA budget $6.7 billion above 2007 levels. It would hire 1,100 more VA claims adjudicators to help reduce a backlog of more than 685,000 compensation and pension and education claims. It would provide $600 million for three "Centers of Excellence" in mental health care, and five polytrauma centers to care for the needs of thousands of men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with serious mental and physical conditions. The bill would increase VA maintenance and repair budgets. And, for the benefit of Category 7 and 8 veterans, the House bill rejects an administration proposal to create annual enrollment fees and raise prescription co-payments for almost 2 million veterans with nonservice-connected disabilities.

On the Defense Department side, H.R. 2642 would provide a record $21.4 billion for military construction, family housing, and base realignment and closure actions. The increase would equate to better barracks, family housing and training facilities. It supports the relocation of 70,000 troops from bases in Korea and Europe to U.S. soil, and provides funding to increase military strength by 65,000 soldiers, 27,000 Marines, and 9,000 National Guard and Reserve troops.

“This bill lives up to the specialized healthcare needs of today’s war veterans, and improves force structure and quality of life programs for our servicemembers and their families. I urge the Senate to act quickly on their version of the bill so that a consolidated funding package can reach the president before October,” said Kurpius, who added that it has been eight years since the VA was able to begin a new fiscal year with a fully-funded, on-time budget.

“Let’s support the troops and their families and America’s veterans by finishing the funding job the House has so powerfully started.”




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