MR. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise today to laud this bipartisan effort to address the funding crisis in VA health care. Yesterday, the Veterans Affairs Committee held a hearing on VA's admission that it is more than $1 billion in the hole this year.
With this announcement, we have the long overdue realization that VA hospitals and clinics are in crisis. I think one of the lessons we can all take from this is: reach out to VA nurses and doctors and reach out to the Veterans Service Organizations. So many advocates have been bravely forthcoming about the desperate financial picture in VA over the past six months. I welcome the Administration's admission that there is a shortfall. But I caution that VA officials are not the only source of information.
By waiting for this revelation, we forced veterans to wait longer for needed care and providers to go for months with substandard medical equipment. That said, I am delighted that we now have bipartisan recognition that there truly is a problem at VA. Both sides of the aisle are now working together to improve the quality of care for our nation's veterans.
We shared with the Budget Committee what was needed for next year. This was based on early warnings from sources out in the field. And we raised the funding issue twice on the Senate floor.
During the Budget Resolution debate in March, I offered an amendment to increase VA's funding by $2.8 billion for next year. With the support of my colleagues, I stood before this body and outlined the case for a significant increase for VA. But we were rejected because the Administration claimed VA needed far less. Then, again, during the War Supplemental debate in April -- while VA was beginning to see signs of a problem -- we were denied in our efforts to secure more funding for this year. Again, this was due to the Administration's failure to acknowledge the plight that VA providers and patients were facing. I do not believe that this is a scenario my colleagues would like to repeat in the future. Waiting until VA hits rock bottom and then taking action is simply not rational. We can do better.
Clearly, we have been able to force this issue, and now we do not have to wait for the Administration. Let us move to fix the problem and fulfill our obligation to our veterans. Because at the very least, this crisis will result in deferred maintenance, as VA is raiding capital accounts just to make ends meet. And my colleagues familiar with the military know that deferred maintenance puts troops in danger.
The same is true for veterans in need of health care. The purchase and replacement of equipment directly impacts the quality of care provided. Raiding money for capital projects means that needed VA clinics are in jeopardy. I remind my colleagues that there are more than 120 new clinics waiting to be opened. The list of jeopardized clinics includes locations in states where rural access to health care is a serious issue -- such as in Maine, North Dakota, Texas, and 11 clinics in Tennessee alone.
Again, I say that our amendment is one way to fix the VA funding crisis. It would do more than just cover the $1 billion shortfall. The text of the amendment delineates that each VA region would receive an additional $20 million. Each VA region includes all the hospitals and clinics in my colleagues' respective home states. But I continue to be open to any approach that ensures the highest quality health care for our nation's veterans. Along those lines, I appreciate the work that Senators Craig and Hutchison and our other colleagues are doing to tackle this problem. I believe we can find a solution, together. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the Floor.
