Brooks: Supporting Veterans is Clear Priority

Statement

Congresswoman Susan W. Brooks (R-IN5) released the following statement after voting in favor of House Resolution 4486 -- the Fiscal Year 2015 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act -- legislation which funds the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and military construction projects for FY15:

"One priority we can all agree on is supporting the veterans who've made tremendous sacrifices to protect our freedom. In Indiana, we have more than 490,000 Hoosiers who have served in our armed forces.

Today's legislation provides $45 billion in vital medical care to our nation's veterans allowing treatment for 6.7 million patients. This bill fully funds essential programs related to traumatic brain injury, suicide prevention and mental health support. There needs to be an effective and wide support network for both our younger and older veterans facing challenges at home.

I'm also encouraged to see additional funding to modernize the VA electronic health records system and to implement a paperless claims processing system. Using these funds wisely will help end the current claims backlog and ensure more veterans receive the benefits they've earned without delay. These funds come with enhanced levels of Congressional oversight, so we can make sure they are being used effectively.

We have a long way to go to ensure we're keeping the promises we've made to the men and women who've served in our military. However, today's vote is an important step in the right direction and I urge my colleagues in the Senate to pass this legislation."

H.R. 4486 increases funding for veterans programs by $1.5 billion compared to FY14. The overall allocation to the VA is $158.2 billion in discretionary and mandatory funding.

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