[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 24 (Wednesday, March 1, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E247]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         ASSURED FUNDING FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 1, 2006

  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for 
assured funding for the veterans' health care. For too long, funding 
for the critical services needed by our veterans has been subject to 
the political whims of Congress and the Administration and budgetary 
schemes intended to hide inefficiencies and misplaced priorities. With 
a new generation of veterans returning home from their duty overseas, 
we must ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs has the 
resources necessary to honor the promises we have made to our veterans.
  Last year, the Administration admitted that it had underestimated the 
number of servicemen and women requiring medical treatment upon return 
from their missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Within one week, the 
Administration begrudgingly reported that the Department of Veterans 
Affairs was $1 billion short of being able to fulfill its obligations 
to veterans for Fiscal Year 2005, and would be $2.6 billion short of 
fulfilling its obligations for Fiscal Year 2006 without Emergency 
Supplemental Appropriations bills.
  Efforts to fully restore funding were initially stymied by denial and 
vain attempts to save face by those who had condemned attempts to 
provide adequate funding to the VA during the traditional 
appropriations process. What should have been a quick fix to an 
embarrassing problem turned into a drawn out negotiation battle between 
those who argued that the VA needed only the barest minimum sum of 
money to carry out its mission and those who demanded additional 
funding to guarantee veterans' health care would not be interrupted. 
Once again, veterans' healthcare was left in limbo while the 
Congressional Leadership played politics.
  In the face of growing public outrage, the funding shortfall was 
eventually restored. But, it appears that we have learned nothing from 
the preventable incident. Yet again, veterans' health care will be 
subject to the lengthy, political appropriations process and the 
Administration's request again shortchanges veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, our veterans dutifully and courageously honored their 
commitment to our Nation. Now, it is our turn to keep our promises. 
American veterans deserve better than to have their healthcare in 
constant jeopardy. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting 
assured funding for veterans healthcare so that those who have served 
will always have the care they need when they need it. We can, and 
must, do better for our nation's veterans. With the most sincere 
gratitude for all that American veterans have done to protect our 
freedom.

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