Press Releases
Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami
202-226-7616
07/17/2007
Pelosi Urges President to Appoint New VA Secretary Who Will Ensure Veterans Receive Health Care They Deserve
“Secretary Nicholson’s resignation provides President Bush
with an opportunity to break with the Administration’s history of underfunding
VA health care and work with Congress to meet the needs of
“The President’s repeated failure to request adequate
funding for the VA has undermined the quality of health
“To bring change to
“With the VA expected to treat 5.8 million patients in the
coming year – including more than 260,000
July 17,
2007
DEMOCRATIC-LED
CONGRESS: HONORING AND KEEPING OUR PROMISE TO
The 110th Congress has voted for
historic increases in veterans’ health care and benefits programs, totaling
nearly $12 billion, to meet the needs of returning veterans from Iraq and
Afghanistan, make up for the Bush Administration's past shortchanging of
veterans, and keep the President’s proposed fee increases from hitting
veterans.
KEY
BILLS THE 110th CONGRESS HAS PASSED INTO LAW:
FY
2007 Funding (H.J.Res. 20; P.L. 110-5)
·
The $3.4 billion increase over
fiscal year 2006 in VA funding will provide services to meet rising health care
costs and account for the influx of an estimated 219,000 new veterans entering
the VA system in 2007.
·
Provides about $2 billion more
than the President requested for military health care at Walter Reed and other
hospitals, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder/Counseling and Traumatic
Brain Injury care and research.
·
Provides $1.8 billion more for
veterans’ health care to address the needs of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans
(including mental health care and benefit claims) and the backlog in maintaining
VA health facilities; the Administration requested no money for VA health
care.
FY
2008 Budget Resolution/Veterans Funding
(S.Con.Res.
21)
·
The largest veterans’ budget
increase in American history -- $6.7 billion more than last
year.
·
Invests $32 billion over five
years above the President’s budget.
·
Rejects Administration plan to
impose new enrollment fees for veterans’ health care and nearly double drug
co-payments for one million veterans.
·
Commended by the American Legion,
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, AMVETS, MOAA, Paralyzed
Veterans of
KEY
BILLS THAT HAVE PASSED THE HOUSE:
Military
Construction/VA Spending Bill for FY 2008 (H.R. 2642)
·
Increases the VA budget by $6.7
billion above the FY07 level, the largest single increase in the 77-year history
of the Veterans Administration and $3.8 billion above the President’s request
for FY08.
·
For the first time, the budget
for VA medical accounts exceeds the Independent Budget prepared by veterans’
service organizations by $294 million -- for the largest increase in VA health
care in American history
·
Significantly reduces the 400,000
claims backlog by adding more than 1,100 new claims
processors.
·
Provide much-needed maintenance of
VA health care facilities to prevent a Walter Reed-type scandal from occurring
in the VA system (funding is $500 million above the President’s request).
·
Provides $600 million more for
mental health, PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury than the President and makes five
polytrauma centers and three Centers of Excellence for Mental Health and Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) fully operational. One-third of veterans
returning from
·
All of the major veterans’ groups
strongly endorsed the bill – including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American
Legion, Disabled Veterans of America, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Military
Officers Association of America, Association of the United States Army, National
Association for Uniformed Services, and AMVETS – calling it a “major victory”
and an “impressive commitment” to our veterans.
Wounded Warrior
Assistance Act (H.R. 1538):
·
Takes the first step to address
the problems brought to light by the inadequate living conditions and the
administrative challenges experienced by some patients at
·
Improves outpatient medical care
for wounded service members at military health care facilities;
·
Begins restoring integrity and
efficiency to disability evaluations and cutting bureaucratic red-tape; and
·
Improves the transition of wounded
service members from the Armed Forces to the VA system.
DOD Upgrade
Military Health Care for our Troops & Military Retirees (H.R.
1585)
·
Prohibits fee increases in TRICARE
and TRICARE pharmacy program for service members and
retirees.
·
Restores 2,300 medical personnel
and fully funds military health facility maintenance.
·
Launches a Military Mental Health
Initiative and Traumatic Brain Injury Initiative.
Improve VA
Health Insurance for Returning Service Members (H.R. 612)
·
Makes those who have served in
combat in the Persian Gulf War or future hostilities eligible for health care
for five years after discharge, instead of two years, to help veterans who might
have post-traumatic stress disorder, which may not be immediately
evident.
Traumatic Brain
Injury/Rural Veterans Outreach (H.R. 2199)
·
Ensures that our veterans are
properly screened for Traumatic Brain Injury (the signature injury of the wars
in
·
Provide rural communities with
"mobile vet centers" for mental health services and benefits outreach.
Veterans
Outreach Improvement Act (H.R. 67)
·
Allows the VA to partner with
state and local governments to reach out to veterans and their families to
ensure they receive their veterans’ benefits.