New Legislation Demands Accountability from Veterans Administration, Defense Department

Press Release

Tuesday evening, Congressman Robert Pittenger (NC-09) helped pass forward-thinking legislation that will reduce backlogs at the V.A. and save taxpayer money by withholding funds for unnecessary military construction projects.

The 2014 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill includes $291 million to modernize the claims processing and health records systems at the Veterans Administration in an effort to reduce the large backlog of disability claims. The bill also implements strict reporting requirements to track the performance of each regional V.A. office.

The legislation promotes responsible spending at the Department of Defense by withholding funds for 10 unnecessary military construction projects while providing full funding for projects related to military readiness.

"Our brave men and women in uniform, and our veterans, are the true American heroes, the ones our children should admire," commented Congressman Pittenger. "They deserve the best from the country they fought to protect, which includes the responsible use of their tax dollars."

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