House Debates Veterans Funding Bill

Press Release

House Debates Veterans Funding Bill

Today the U.S. House of Representatives debates HR 2642, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2008. The bill contains historic increases in Veterans Administration (VA) spending, increasing the VA budget by $6.7 billion above the Fiscal Year 2007 level.

"This new Congress has replaced rhetoric with real action to demonstrate our commitment to our nation's veterans," said Rep. Levin. "Stories of long-waiting times, case backlogs and inadequate conditions are completely unacceptable, and this budget bill will begin to make up for years of neglect and inadequate funding."

Since the 110th Congress convened in January, the House has made veterans' issues a top priority:

- A Continuing Resolution that increased veterans' health care by $3.6 billion over the 2007 budget levels
- An Iraq funding bill that provides an additional $1.7 billion for veterans' health care
- The Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act, to develop a program that regularly screens and monitors all veterans for risk factors of suicide
- The Returning Servicemember VA Healthcare Insurance Act, to extend the period of health care eligibility from two years to five years for service members returning from combat
- The Traumatic Brain Injury Health Enhancement and Long-Term Support Act, to authorize new research centers for traumatic brain injuries and require the establishment of a comprehensive program to treat traumatic brain injuries at VA health centers

The House has also taken swift action to address the very serious and disturbing concerns that surfaced as a result of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center scandal, which resulted in the firings of several top officials in the Department of the Army, as well as oversight hearings in both the House and Senate. The House-passed Iraq supplemental included $550 million to address the maintenance backlog at VA health facilities. Additionally, the House approved the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act, which would add caseworkers and counselors to the military's medical system, establish a toll-free hotline for patients and family members to report problems with medical facilities, and set up a pilot program to improve the transition from military to civilian life for wounded combat veterans.

"While we can never fully repay our nation's veterans for their service and sacrifice, we must, at a minimum, do our very best to ensure that they are properly cared for when they return home. I can think of no greater way to honor our troops, past and present, than to provide them with adequate benefits, comprehensive health care coverage, and an efficient and effective VA," concluded Rep. Levin.

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