Abercrombie: "Finally, Congress Has Started Keeping Its Promises."

Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. House of Representatives today passed the largest single increase in funding in the 77-year history of the Veterans Administration - $3.8 billion more than the Bush Administration requested.  The funding is included in the $43.2 billion Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriation Bill for 2008, one of the 12 appropriation bills that combine to pay for the operations and services of the U.S. government each year.

"We have made promise upon promise to veterans that we would provide them with quality healthcare when they completed their military service to the nation.  Yet, for the last five years, the promises were not kept," said Rep. Abercrombie, Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces.  "Finally, Congress has started meeting its responsibilities to America's 24-million veterans, more than 100-thousand in Hawaii.  Finally, Congress has started keeping its promises."

The Veterans Healthcare System is expecting to provide medical care for 5.8 million patients in 2008, including more than a quarter million veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.  The $43.2 billion appropriation includes funds to:

• Reduce the 400,000 claims backlog for veterans waiting for disabiltiy and other services by adding more than 1,100 new claims processors. 
  
• Provide $600 million more than President Bush's request for mental health services that will be needed by as many as one-third of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.  Up to 300,000 troops are expected to return from Iraq suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Traumatic Brain Injuries.
  
• Provide much needed maintenance to prevent Walter Reed-type conditions from occurring in VA health care facilities.  A recent report outlined 1,000 specific problems at VA health facilities around the country, with a backlog of $5 billion in maintenance.

"A new military report released yesterday revealed a significant rise in veterans suffering from mental disorders.  More than one-third of the 230,000 new veterans who have applied for medical assistance from the Veterans' Affairs Department suffer with mental disorders," Abercrombie said.  "So this funding increase could not come at a more critical time."

The Military Construction portion of the legislation funds military construction projects to ensure that America's servicemen and women have more effective training facilities, and that they and their families have decent housing, health care and day-care facilities.

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