WASHINGTON — Four of the nation’s leading veterans
service organizations—AMVETS, DAV (Disabled American Veterans), Paralyzed
Veterans of America (Paralyzed Veterans), and Veterans of Foreign Wars of the
United States (VFW), are urging the Administration and Congress to provide $68.4 billion to sufficiently meet
veterans’ health care and benefits needs. The recommendation is contained in The
Independent Budget released today, and available online at www.independentbudget.org.
The Independent Budget
notes that currently, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) remains funded by
a six-month Continuing Resolution for the current fiscal year (FY 2013). This
six-month Continuing Resolution, which expires in March, does not include the
FY 2014 advance appropriation for health care, and leaves all other VA programs
to operate in an uncertain and inefficient manner—a major concern highlighted
in the report.
This year’s Independent Budget recommends
the following:
- $58.8 billion total for
health care for FY 2014—$1.3 billion more than what the Administration
recommended ($57.5 billion) in the FY 2014 advance appropriation last
year.
- $2.4 billion for the
Veterans Benefits Administration—approximately $226 million more than the
expected FY 2013 appropriated level.
- $2.25 billion for all
construction programs—approximately $900 million more than the expected FY
2013 appropriated level and well below the true funding needs of
construction projects that the VA must undertake.
- $611 million for medical
and prosthetic research, which is approximately $28 million more than the
expected FY 2013 appropriated level.
For the first time, the Independent
Budget includes an advance appropriation recommendation for health care for
FY 2015, recommending $61.6 billion.
AMVETS National Commander Cleve
Geer called on the Administration to request, and for Congress to fully
implement, the recommendations of The Independent Budget in order to
enable VA to meet the needs of America’s veterans.
“AMVETS is particularly concerned with the needs of America’s transitioning
veterans, and urges legislators to provide for critical VA programs, including
employment initiatives, to help our veterans find new careers during these
challenging economic times,” said Geer. “With more than 800,000 unemployed
veterans, and nearly 12 percent of recent veterans searching for work, now is
the time for this Administration and Congress to stand up for our heroes and
ensure they are able to provide for themselves and their families.”
DAV National Commander Larry A.
Polzin added:
“The VA’s efforts to streamline the claims process and
eliminate the backlog are encouraging,” said Polzin. “Veterans organizations
have played a crucial role in developing a number of new initiatives being
deployed, and we look forward to continued progress in improved accuracy and
timeliness. But uncertainty about funding for the VA could have far-reaching
consequences for our nation’s injured and ill veterans and their families.”
Despite
reassurances by Congress, the veterans groups note that the VA remains
threatened by efforts to reduce federal spending across all programs, and that
any attempts to reduce funding for VA programs will lead to rationing of
health care services and longer waiting times for claims decisions.
Paralyzed
Veterans’ National President Bill Lawson urged the following:
“Congress must keep its promise to our veterans and part of
that promise is to urgently resolve this Continuing Resolution issue. The fact
that Congress has not completed its appropriations work more than four months
into the fiscal year is unacceptable as it has left vital funding for essential
services such as health care and claims processing in limbo,” said Lawson. “As
we move forward, the best way for the Administration and Congress to honor the
service and sacrifice of all veterans and their families is to fully implement
the recommendations of this year’s Independent Budget.”
VFW National Commander John E. Hamilton stated:
“The Administration has for the past few years asked for
less than half of what the Department of Veterans Affairs needs to modernize
its aging infrastructure,” he said. “Just as disabled veterans require more
medical assistance as they age, so do VA medical facilities that average more
than 60 years old. Though we have yet to see what the Administration is
proposing for fiscal year 2014, we fear the weak economy will again influence
what the Administration requests for major and minor construction. Therefore,
we urge Congress to at least match The Independent Budget’s bare-bones
recommendation of a little over $2.25 billion for VA construction programs.”
In its 27th year, The Independent Budget is an annual
comprehensive budget and policy document, written by veterans for veterans,
detailing funding requirements for VA. The Independent Budget aims to
present a full picture of veterans’ needs—and how government can meet these
needs.