Rep. Engel Votes to Support Troops, Honor Veterans

Press Release

Congressman Eliot Engel voted to approve the FY 2011 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act (HR 5822), which supports our troops and honors our veterans by funding critical veterans' health services, and authorizes the construction of key facilities for training and housing our military. This measure was overwhelmingly passed by the full House by a vote of 411 to 6.

"Democrats have controlled Congress since 2007, and we have continually fought to make sure our veterans are well taken care when they return home from serving our country," said Rep. Engel, a senior member of the House Foreign Relations Committee. "With the passage of this bill, Democrats will have provided a 70 percent increase in funding for veterans' health care and benefits. Honoring our veterans is not something to be done on parade grounds once a year in November; it is a true commitment to making life better for those who have risked theirs to make ours safe. Voting for bills supporting veterans are always the easiest ones to cast."

The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act will provide an increase of $3.9 billion over the FY 2010 level. The VA will be able to provide quality medical care to over six million veterans in 2011, including more than 439,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill also contains an unprecedented increase to support the processing of more than one million VA disability claims. More than 4,000 additional permanent claims processors, an increase of almost 25 percent, will target the ever-growing backlog of claims.

Since 2007, veterans' health care and benefits have received substantial attention in Congress. For example, there have been:

* Over 10,000 new claims processors to reduce backlog,
* Over 3,300 new doctors added, and over 14,000 nurses.
* Over 140 new community-based vet outpatient clinics operated, and
* Over 90 new vet centers.

The legislation is supported by various veterans' organizations, such as: The VFW, Disabled American Veterans, AMVETS, and Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"This bill is fiscally responsible, as it makes cuts in programs which were ineffective and uses those funds to boost programs which are needed for veterans. Over $85 million was removed from IT Systems and redirected to pay for construction backlogs and education claims processors," said Rep. Engel. "Supporting our troops and veterans means taking action and not just using lofty rhetoric. I am proud of our troops and veterans. I am grateful for their service and immeasurable sacrifice, and I wholeheartedly support this legislation to provide them the services they have earned and so richly deserve."

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