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LETTER FROM INDEPENDENT BUDGET AUTHORS
REGARDING THE VA BUDGET

Last Wednesday, the following letter from the major veteran service organizations was sent to the Speaker of the House, the Majority Whip, and the Minority Leader, the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Committee on the Budget, and the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

THE INDEPENDENT BUDGET
A Budget for Veterans by Veterans
www.independentbudget.org

October 25, 2005

All Representatives
United States House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Representative:

We are deeply concerned about some of the media reports emanating from the discussions on how and whether to offset the costs of restoration of the Gulf Coast with funds from domestic discretionary accounts. We wish to express our hope that Congress will not turn to the accounts of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in making these cuts in the amended budget resolution or in subsequent appropriations intended for veterans’ programs.

As you know this entire year has been punctuated with embarrassing Congressional and Administration rear-guard actions to restore the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to an adequate level of funding, to permit VHA to provide quality of care to the nation’s veterans. The Administration had been in denial of the problem for years while members of our community were hearing louder and louder cries from veterans and those who care for them in the health programs of VA confirming the paucity of adequate funding. Certainly also compounding the problem was the erratic nature of appropriations decision-making by Congress year after year for the past decade or more.

The current crisis situation was finally resolved during the summer of 2005 with an emergency supplemental appropriation of $1.5 billion for VA included in the Interior Department appropriation for 2006. The Administration has subsequently amended the President’s fiscal year 2006 budget by $1.977 billion to stem the deterioration of VA health care. All of the principals involved in these matters, including the Speaker of the House, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the House, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the Senate, and all the authorizing and appropriating committee chairmen and ranking members concerned, have been publicly quoted as determined to solve the VA health care funding challenge, and to improve its prospects in the future. To now renege on that commitment by including VA’s discretionary accounts for either fiscal year 2005 or 2006 in the offset or reconciliation measures that may come before both chambers or be offered in floor debates, would reverse the ameliorative acts and good intentions which currently constitute the clear record on this matter. The VA has informed the veterans service organizations that a proposed two percent across-the-board cut in VA funding would amount to a $600 million reduction in health care funding alone not to mention serious reductions in funding for already shortchanged benefits and claims processing.

We organizations who jointly author the Independent Budget, AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States in support of adequate and dependable budgets for veterans’ benefits and services programs would be appalled at such an unacceptable development, particularly at a time when injured soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines are returning from combat deployments in need of major services from the VA—a situation that will likely need to be sustained for years.

There are 7.4 million veterans enrolled in VA health care in addition to the newest generation of war-wounded. We urge Congress to support veterans with the same level of dedication that they exhibited in serving our country.

Sincerely,

James King
Executive Director
AMVETS

Richard B. Fuller
National Legislative Director
Paralyzed Veterans of America

Joseph A. Violante
National Legislative Director
Disabled American Veterans

Dennis Cullinan
National Legislative Director
Veterans of Foreign Wars
of the United States

For more information:
NOVA/NOVA Foundation
1726 M Street, NW, Suite 1101
Washington, DC 20036 US
202-296-0888
Fax: 202-833-1577