AMVETS APPLAUDS HOUSE APPROVAL OF ADVANCE VA FUNDING

WASHINGTON, July 10, 2009—This afternoon, the House approved the first advance budget for the VA by approving the military construction and VA budget for FY2010. The House version of the 2010 budget specifically allocated more than $40 million to fund VA health care in FY2011.

"Today, we took another significant step toward advance VA appropriations," said AMVETS National Legislative Director Ray Kelley. "For more than a decade, AMVETS and the Partnership for VA Health Care Budget Reform have called for sufficient, timely and predictable funding for VA health care. We’re happy to see that Congress is taking this issue seriously."
AMVETS has worked closely with leaders on Capitol Hill to make advance appropriations a reality, and Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Texas), chairman of the VA appropriations subcommittee for the VA, submitted AMVETS’ letter of support to the Congressional record during today’s floor debate.
AMVETS leaders say that advanced appropriations will drastically enhance the VA’s ability to provide top-notch care to veterans and also fully develop new programs often constrained by a lengthy, contentious federal budget process.  

For 19 of the last 22 years, Congress has failed to deliver the VA budget on time, raising concerns for AMVETS over the timely delivery of sufficient health care for veterans who rely on the VA system. AMVETS and many of the nation's other leading veterans’ organizations have been working to revise the funding model for the VA for decades. To visit the official Web site of the Partnership for VA Health Care Budget Reform, visit www.fundingforvets.org.

“Thanks to the leadership of [Congressman Edwards], the VA budget has been delivered on time for the last two years, but there are no guarantees that future budgets will be passed in a timely manner,” said Kelley. “We’re happy to see [Edwards] take the lead on advance appropriations, and we hope the Senate will now take similar action.”
The Senate version of the military construction and VA budget passed a critical subcommittee earlier in the week and the Obama Administration has indicated that it will support advance appropriations for the VA. AMVETS will remain vocal on Capitol Hill, ensuring that advance appropriations for VA health care becomes a reality.