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REPUBLICAN PRESS RELEASE

March 1, 2007

GOP veterans’ spending plan: improved health care access, faster claims decisions

Washington, D.C. — House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) today submitted recommended funding for veterans’ programs totaling $2.91 billion above the Bush administration’s overall fiscal year 2008 request. Of this amount, $1.41 billion would be for discretionary spending on veterans’ programs and $1.5 billion would fund new mandatory spending on a legislative proposal to improve GI Bill education and training for members of the National Guard and Reserves.

These Republican views and estimates present the recommendations of the committee’s 13 Republicans to the House Committee on the Budget, for consideration in the development of the FY 2008 budget for veterans’ programs.

“In recommending record discretionary funding for veterans’ health care and benefits, the Republican views and estimates reflect our enduring priorities: to care for veterans who have service-connected disabilities, those with special needs, and the indigent; to ensure a seamless transition from military service to the care of the Department of Veterans Affairs; and to provide veterans every opportunity to live full, healthy lives,” Buyer said.

Reflecting the cost of war, Republican members recommend $89.61 billion in funding that honors our returning servicemembers with truly seamless transition from the military to quality VA health care and benefits. These recommendations would further increase access to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care and preserve the high quality of care for which VA has justly become the envy of the medical community. These funds would resource VA to slash the backlog in disability claims with a progressive blend of personnel increases, leveraged technology, and an energized network of intergovernmental collaboration. National cemeteries, under these recommendations, would see accelerated refurbishment and expansion.

The Republican views and estimates take into consideration information provided to the committee in February 2007 during hearings on the budget at which written and oral testimony was provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the national leadership of some veterans’ service organizations (VSOs).

Listening to veterans: applying the insights of veterans’ and military groups

The views and estimates consider insights gathered in the 109th Congress, during which the committee enhanced input from VSOs and military service organizations (MSOs). The committee held hearings during the development of the budget and boosted the number of these groups which testified. In February 2006, 19 of these organizations testified on the budget, and in September 2006, 20 testified in a fiscal-year review. Many of these views retain their validity. Contending with a decision by the Democratic majority to restrict the hearing process and curtail the opportunity for veterans’ groups to testify early in the budget cycle, the Republican views and estimates would continue to implement insights of last year.

The President’s request: reflecting a wartime budget

“In developing these views and estimates, I commend the president and the secretary of veterans affairs for sending to the Congress a strong request,” Buyer said. “The administration’s FY 2008 budget submission reflects the priorities of a nation at war and the commitment of Americans to care for their veterans.”

The president has proposed substantial increases in the budgets of agencies focused on fighting the war on terror, the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security. Consistent with that focus, the Department of Veterans Affairs, with its mission of caring for those who have borne the battle, again this year received a substantial increase. Much of the rest of government received very modest, if any, augmentation.

Medical care: increased access, top quality, reflecting the cost of war

Record medical services funding of $28 billion within an overall health care funding recommendation of $36 billion strengthens VA’s ability to respond directly to the needs of servicemembers returning from the global war on terror. Many of these warriors have suffered traumatic brain injury and other grievous and complex injuries requiring the most advanced treatments and rehabilitation. Within these funds are an additional $100 million over the administration’s request for medical services for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans, an additional $200 million for mental health and an additional $50 million for polytrauma rehabilitation.

“Veterans and the families at their side would see dramatic increases in medical care accounts, mental health care, and funding for polytrauma care,” Buyer said, noting also that Republicans reject the administration’s proposed health care enrollment fees and increased drug co-pays. “Responding to the needs of our newest veterans as well as all veterans, Republicans recommend increases in research, prosthetics, sensory aids, and blind rehabilitation,” Buyer said.

Along with expansion of current access to quality health care, long-term care would see an additional $80 million, plus an additional $35 million for construction of state extended care facilities. Further, Republicans would improve VA’s future ability to care for veterans with construction spending of $231.1 million over the administration’s request on the kind of medical facilities that veterans need, where they need them.

Sports at all levels of skill provide the opportunity for service-disabled veterans to accelerate their rehabilitation and improve their overall lives. In 2005, VA joined with the U.S. Olympic Committee to provide increased opportunities for service-disabled veterans to participate in sports and Republicans recommend funding to defray the program’s modest expenses.

Benefits: commensurate with service, prompt and accurate decisions

The backlog of disability compensation and pension claims continues to climb. It is now well past 600,000, with another 137,000 appeals awaiting adjudication. Just since the beginning of February 2007, some 9,000 claims have been added to the backlog. Committee Republicans recommend funding 1,000 additional full-time employee equivalents over the administration’s request, 600 for compensation and pension adjudication, and 400 for education and veterans’ rehabilitation and employment programs. Recommendations include increasing Board of Veterans’ Appeals staffing from the administration’s request for 468 to 500, in line with Buyer’s request of last year.

“Each claim is a veteran waiting for the government to act, and possibly dying before that happens,” Buyer said. “Additional hiring is only part of the solution to improving quality, accuracy, and timeliness in claims processing. We recommend funds for mobile claims offices, training and performance support systems, and skills certification and improved processes. Innovations such as rules-based technology could help speed accurate decision making, as would closer partnerships with municipal, county, and state veterans offices and veterans groups; our recommendations include funding for pilot projects in these areas.”

“Our young men and women returning from military service are a national treasure.” Buyer said. “During the 109th Congress, the committee determined the need to modernize the Montgomery GI Bill, especially for reserve component servicemembers. Consequently, we propose $1.5 billion in additional mandatory spending to improve these education and training benefits, which have proven since 1944 to be one of our nation’s greatest investments.”

Memorial affairs: honored rest in a national shrine

The nation lost some 688,000 veterans in 2006, with similar numbers projected for the near future, most from our “Greatest Generation.” More than 1,600 veterans pass from us each day, most of whom served during World War II and the Korean War. “To assure our veterans a final resting place in a national shrine, we recommend an additional $74 million for operations, maintenance and minor construction of national cemeteries, and for an accelerated expansion of some existing cemeteries which are near or at capacity,” Buyer said.

“Support for our veterans has long been a bipartisan cause calling forth the best efforts of government at all levels,” Buyer said. “Republican members of the committee, reflecting the good will and support of Americans for their military and their veterans, look forward to working on a bipartisan basis to develop an FY 2008 veterans’ budget that continues to honor this nation’s commitment to those who have borne the battle and to their families.”

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Larry Scott

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