Evans Urges Speedy Action by House to Meet Veterans' Funding Needs

Evans Urges Speedy Action by House to Meet Veterans' Funding Needs

Rep. Lane Evans (D-IL), ranking Democrat on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, today called for prompt action by the House of Representatives to provide needed funding for veterans' health care.

"We on the Veterans' Affairs Committee are beginning to hear of many of the same problems that plagued the VA last year when it had to finally confess to Congress that it needed an additional $1 billion," said Evans. "It is simply unconscionable for Congress not to act swiftly to ensure that the funding is there to care for the men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, and the men and women who have faithfully served our nation in the past."

Last week the Senate, during consideration of H.R. 4939, the "Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Hurricane Recovery," agreed to an amendment that added $430 million for VA health care. On March 15th, the House majority rejected, on a procedural motion, an amendment offered by Representative John Salazar (D-CO) that would have provided $630 million for VA health care. "John and I wrote a letter to Speaker Hastert, signed by 126 House Democrats, detailing the very real funding needs faced by the VA today. It was heartbreaking that this amendment was shot down," added Evans.

Evans praised the Senate action: "I applaud the efforts of my colleagues in the Senate, led by Senator Akaka, to provide much needed veterans' funding now. Veterans should always be part of any spending measure that pays for our conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, because providing for our veterans and their families is an ongoing cost of our defense. I hope this vote by the Senate will encourage the leadership of the House of Representatives to provide the funding veterans need today when the final version of this spending measure is agreed to."

Evans noted that Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) data indicate twice as many new veteran enrollees waiting for health care today, as compared to last year, and that this number has increased by over 400 percent in two years. "Furthermore," he stated, "it is clear that we need additional funding to begin to meet the mental health care needs of our veterans, as well as prosthetics and health care for some of our most grievously wounded veterans."

"Those of us working for veterans face a tough and difficult fight this year," Evans summed up. "The Bush Administration failed to request the resources that my fellow Democrats and I believe the VA needs for next year. Soon, the House Appropriations Committee will be presenting a VA funding bill that, frankly, I don't see veterans being very happy with. We owe our veterans so much - making sure that as the representatives of the people we pass budgets that provide adequate funding to provide them with the health care and benefits they have earned is the very least we can do."

http://veterans.house.gov/democratic/press/109th/5-2-06budget.htm