| Senate Praised for Passing Veterans Health Care Funding Reform Bill WASHINGTON, Aug. 7—The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) applauds the Senate’s passage last night of critical legislation that would authorize Congress to approve medical care appropriations for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) one year in advance of the start of each fiscal year, effectively ending the funding delays that have plagued the VA when Congress has failed to pass an appropriations bill on time. “The Senate’s approval of the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act (S. 423/ H.R. 1016) is another major step toward ensuring sufficient, timely and predictable funding for veterans health care programs,” said National Commander Raymond E. Dempsey. The legislation must now be reconciled with a slightly different House version approved in June before it can be sent to President Obama, who has promised to sign it into law. Key to the bill’s passage has been Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) who has championed this legislation from day one. “His vigorous and tireless advocacy throughout this process has been much appreciated,” said Commander Dempsey. “The DAV also applauds the dedicated efforts of Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), the Ranking Member of the Committee, who has worked in a bipartisan manner to pass this legislation and ensure that millions of veterans can access VA health care services when and where they need them.” The effort to ensure sufficient, timely and predictable funding for VA health care generated an unprecedented level of grassroots support among DAV members who urged lawmakers to ensure that veterans, particularly sick and disabled veterans, have access to quality and timely health care. With 56 bipartisan cosponsors in the Senate, this legislation had a number of important supporters who contributed toward its approval, including Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), who Chairs the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that has already approved $48.2 billion in advance appropriations for fiscal year 2011 and Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), who offered a crucial floor amendment to the budget resolution that cleared the way for Senate passage of this legislation. The DAV and the eight other members of the Partnership for Veterans Health Care Budget Reform, along with a growing coalition of military and veterans groups have made advance appropriations their top legislative priority. A number of former VA officials and hospital directors, and an overwhelming majority of American voters, all support legislation to approve VA’s health care funding one year in advance. The 1.2 million-member Disabled American Veterans, a non-profit organization founded in 1920 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1932, represents this nation’s disabled veterans. It is dedicated to a single purpose: building better lives for our nation’s disabled veterans and their families. For more information, visit the organization’s Web site, www.dav.org. DAV |
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| DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS 807 Maine Ave., SW Washington, D.C. 20024 Phone (202) 554-3501 Fax (202) 863-0233 NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 7, 2009 |