Washington, D.C.- In a letter today to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson, Third District Representative Walter B. Jones expressed disappointment with the recent news of a $1 billion shortfall in funds for health care of veterans this year. The shortfall emerged during an administration midyear budget review and was only recently acknowledged at a hearing last Thursday by House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Steve Buyer.

“This is troubling to those who have worn the uniform in defense of this country,” Jones wrote. “The many great organizations that represent veterans’ interests consistently warned the Administration and the Congress that the amounts included for veterans health care in the FY05 Budget and the FY05 Omnibus Appropriations Bill were insufficient to meet projected needs. Largely because of the underfunding problem, I voted against those measures.”

“It now appears the Department of Veterans Affairs may make the problem worse,” Jones continued. “In last week’s hearing, Undersecretary Perlin announced that the current plan to address the shortfall would be to shift ‘as much as $600 million for planned capital spending to pay for health care.’ In my opinion, this is a counterproductive proposal that will hurt veterans. Existing VA facilities need to be improved and more local facilities need to be improved and more local facilities need to be constructed.”

“The fact is we are a nation at war and our Army is having trouble recruiting and retaining the troops it needs,” Jones wrote. “During times such as these, it is especially important that the United States of America honor its commitment to past, present and future members of the armed forces. I urge you to work with the Congress to address this situation in a way that doesn’t shortchange other veterans’ priorities, and to take steps to ensure that such shortfalls do not occur in the future.”

For additional information or to schedule an interview with Congressman Walter B. Jones please contact Kathleen Joyce at (202) 225-3415.