WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) praised recent Senate passage of the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009. This bill improves the funding process for VA medical care. This will provide greater stability to ensure our vets received the high quality health care they deserve. This month also marks the occasion of the first tuition payments to colleges and universities around the country for veterans attending school under the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

“Whether supporting overseas operations or standing sentry on the home front, America’s veterans have been there for us,” Senator Mikulski said. “We have a sacred commitment to honor promises made to them when they signed up to fight for us. That’s why I am working hard every day in the Senate to ensure that the federal government maintains its commitment to veterans. Promises made must be promises kept.”

Highlights of the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009:

• The VA has received its annual appropriation on time only once in the past 15 years. Delays in funding can paralyze the VA health care system by force leaders to put on hold decisions to buy new equipment, hire new personnel, and maintain VA health care facilities. This makes it difficult for the VA to plan and manage care for our veterans. This bill fixes that problem. For the first time ever, this bill authorizes the funding for major VA medical accounts one year in advance.

• By implementing this funding structure change, the VA will have stable, multi-year funding to ensure ready access and quality care for our veterans. Senator Mikulski is a sponsor of this legislation.

• This bill realizes one of the top Independent Budget recommendations to Congress for fiscal year 2010. The Independent Budget is an annual set of recommendations for Veterans Administration funding levels and policy improvements supported by more than 60 Veterans Service Organizations. Ensuring timely and predictable funding for VA health care is critical issue number one for the fiscal year 2010 Independent Budget.

VA Begins paying tuition to Vets under Post 9/11 GI Bill on August 1, 2009.

• Last year, Congress overhauled the G.I. Bill to ensure it affords the new generation of veterans the same opportunities it did for previous generations. The Post 9/11 GI Bill is the most extensive educational assistance program for veterans since the original landmark G.I. Bill. It grants every U.S. veteran who has served at least 90 days in the military since Sept. 11, 2001, an opportunity to receive an in-state, undergraduate education at a public college or university at no cost. It offers student veterans a monthly housing allowance, annual book allowance and covers fees for tutorial services and other educational programs. It also allows for career service members to transfer their benefits to family members.

• Since the VA began taking applications this summer the response is overwhelming. The VA has received more than 80,000 claims for benefits under this program since Vets could apply online. Like past generations, the new GI Bill will provide our veterans a chance to get the education they need to continue to serve their communities as leaders in other fields.

• The VA issued its first payments to colleges and universities on August 1 of this year. More than 450,000 American veterans are expected to participate in the new GI Bill program in this first year of its operation. This is a 25 percent increase in the number of participants in the VA education program.