Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise today to address the Conference Report on the Interior Appropriations bill. Indeed, our efforts in the Senate to add $1.5 billion in funding for VA this year have borne fruit. I again laud our bipartisan effort to address the funding crisis in VA health care.
I also wish to thank my colleague, the Democratic Leader, Senator Reid, for his determination to ensure that $1.5 billion was the final amount of funding for this year. Though some were willing to accept less, he and I understand that every last dollar of this amount is needed to provide the highest quality of care to all veterans -- be they older veterans in VA nursing homes or younger servicemembers just returning from Iraq and seeking VA care for the first time.
We all know that while many of us having been saying that VA needs more money since the early part of the year, the Administration needed to be pressed to own up to the shortfall. As I have said before, I hope in the future all Members reach out to VA nurses and doctors and reach out to the Veterans Service Organizations. We need not wait for the Administration to make an official pronouncement about something that is so obvious. I do believe that the Administration has lost its credibility in forecasting demand and expected costs. I believe this is true for its estimates of this year's funding, as well as next year.
The battle for next year's funding will be upon on us shortly. During the Budget Resolution debate in March, I offered an amendment to increase VA's funding by $2.8 billion for next year. 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.
The Administration wants us to now believe that VA needs a certain amount for FY 05 and 06. They now want to convince us that they have a handle on the numbers. I remain skeptical.
VA rightly admits the FY 06 budget was off-the-mark in its estimate of the number of returning servicemembers who will come for VA care. We know from experience how much it costs to treat a returning servicember. Yet, the Administration wants to now convince us that, in fact, the cost of treating a patient is less than half of this amount.
My original estimate of a need for $3 billion in VA health care spending for next year remains correct. The VA Appropriations bill must contain the full amount for VA health care next year. If not, our veterans will find this nightmare repeated once again.
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.
