Feingold Cosponsors Amendment Supporting Veterans Health Care

Feingold Cosponsors Amendment Supporting Veterans Health Care

U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) is cosponsoring an amendment to the 2006 Budget Resolution to increase funding for veterans health care programs. The amendment, introduced by Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI), increases funding for Veterans Affairs (VA) health care programs by $2.85 billion over last year's funding level.

"As we welcome home a new wave of veterans who have served bravely in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and around the world, we should make sure that they have access to the programs and care they need and deserve," Feingold said. "Every one of our veterans is entitled to quality health care and our budget should reflect our great appreciation for their dedicated service. I commend the Budget Committee's work to reject the user fees and increased co-payments proposed by the Bush Administration, but more needs to be done to ensure that our men and women in uniform are getting the care they need when they return home."

The amendment increases funding for VA health programs in order to account for inflation and salary increases, and to allow access to the VA health care system for all veterans including "Priority Group 8" or "middle-income" veterans. By banning these veterans from access to the system, the VA has shut out approximately 522,000 veterans from receiving VA health care. The Akaka amendment would provide adequate funding to allow all veterans who wish to take advantage of their VA health care benefits to do so.

http://feingold.senate.gov/~feingold/releases/05/03/2005316417.html