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Senate Democratic Committee Members Urge President to Honor Appropriation and Fully Fund Veterans Department
December 21, 2007
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel K. Akaka, (D-Hawaii) along with Committee members John D. Rockefeller (D-WV), Patty Murray (D-WA), Barack Obama (D-IL), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Sharrod Brown (D-OH), Jim Webb (D-VA), and Jon Tester (D-MT) sent a letter to President George W. Bush urging him to fund the Department of Veterans Affairs in accordance with the terms of the Combined Appropriations Act, which provides $3.7 billion over the President's initial budget request. The Senators said this level of funding is essential to providing adequate services to America's veterans. Chairman Akaka said: "This funding increase, which represents the largest single-year increase in the history of VA, is crucial to meeting the increased demands caused by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the aging population of veterans from pervious wars. This funding will help VA detect invisible wounds such as PTSD with improved assess to mental health services, and will increase capacity to tackle the massive backlog in claims." A copy of the letter appears below: Dear Mr. President:We are writing to urge you to send forward a formal budget request for the Department of Veterans Affairs for $3.7 billion over your initial budget request, in accordance with the terms of the Combined Appropriations Act, 2008 (CAA). This level of funding is essential to providing adequate services to America's veterans. As a nation, we are facing a wide range of challenges in meeting the needs of those who have served in the armed services. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are creating a significant new population of veterans. Those who served in earlier wars are becoming older, and their demand for health care and other services is changing and increasing. The Department of Veterans Affairs must rise to meet these new demands. Providing the full level of appropriated funds to VA will ensure, among other things, that the department will be able to provide timely access to services, furnish improved mental health services, and develop the needed capacity to handle the massive claims backlog. These concerns, and many others facing VA, must be addressed in the coming year, and the full amount of funding in the CAA for VA must be provided as soon as feasible so that VA can take the action to better serve our nation's veterans, young and old.We appreciate your commitment to America's veterans, and again urge you to send forward a formal budget request for the full funding prior to January 18th. We look forward to working with you in the year to come to advance our mutual goals.Sincerely,Daniel K. AkakaJohn D. RockefellerPatty MurrayBarack ObamaBernard SandersSharrod BrownJim WebbJon Tester -30-
Year: 2008 , [2007] , 2006 , 2005 , 2004 , 2003 , 2002 , 2001 , 2000 , 1999 , 1900
December 2007
- Senate Democratic Committee Members Urge President to Honor Appropriation and Fully Fund Veterans Department
[December 21, 2007]
- Inouye and Akaka say Omnibus Funding Bill Provides $845 Million for Hawaii-Related Projects [December 20, 2007]
- Congress Provides $7.5 Million for Hawaii Hospitals That Care For Medicare and Uninsured Patients [December 19, 2007]
- Senate Passes Compensation Reform for Blinded Veterans [December 18, 2007]
- Senate Approves Akaka-Collins Bill to Protect Whistleblowers [December 17, 2007]
- Akaka, Obama, Tester Seek Information on Apparent Failure to Investigate Rape Allegations Against Halliburton/KBR Employees in Iraq [December 14, 2007]
- Democrats Discuss Passage of Bill to Aid Troops and Veterans [December 14, 2007]
- Kennedy, Akaka Fight for the Workplace Rights of Veterans [December 13, 2007]
- Akaka and Voinovich Examine the Establishment of Chief Management Officers in the Federal Government [December 13, 2007]
- Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Unanimously Approves Dr. James Peake to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs [December 13, 2007]
- Confirmation Vote Tomorrow on Peake Nomination to Head VA [December 12, 2007]
- Akaka Applauds Defense Bill Provisions for Wounded Warriors [December 12, 2007]
- Akaka-Webb Tomb of the Unknowns Amendment Passes Conference [December 11, 2007]
- Akaka Applauds Provisions Included in Defense Bill [December 7, 2007]
- Akaka Applauds New Program for Veterans' Caregivers on Neighbor Islands and Rural Oahu [December 6, 2007]
- Akaka Applauds Initiation of Programs for Families and Other Caregivers of Veterans [December 6, 2007]
- Akaka Commends Hawaii Warrior Football Team on Senate Floor [December 5, 2007]
- Akaka Holds Hearing on Nomination of Dr. James Peake to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs [December 5, 2007]
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