[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 30 (Monday, February 25, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S1115]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              ASSURED FUNDING FOR VETERANS HEALTH CARE ACT

  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, on February 14, 2008, I was pleased to 
introduce the Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act, along with 
my colleague Senator Snowe. This legislation is the companion bill to 
legislation introduced in the House by Representative Phil Hare, with a 
number of cosponsors.
  This bill will make spending for the VA health care system mandatory, 
rather than discretionary. Under this legislation, the base-line 
funding year would be 130 percent of the fiscal year 2006 VA health 
care budget. This amount would be adjusted annually to reflect the 
total number of veterans participating in the VA health care system and 
would account for the annual rise in the cost of providing health care 
services.
  From 1996 to 2003, the enrolled VA patient population increased 134 
percent. Appropriated funding, however, only increased 44 percent. 
These discrepancies are intolerable. We must give the VA the funding it 
needs to provide our service men and women with the quality health care 
they deserve and were promised.
  As chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs 
Appropriations Subcommittee, I was pleased to help secure full funding 
for the VA for the first time in 21 years. The Assured Funding for 
Veterans Health Care Act is needed, however, to ensure that this is a 
regular occurrence. Our veterans deserve to know that Congress will 
provide for their health care needs and will not subject them to the 
whims of the annual appropriations process.
  This legislation enjoys the support of every major military and 
veterans association, including the American Legion, the Disabled 
American Veterans, the Paralyzed Veterans of American, and the Veterans 
of Foreign Wars. I commend this legislation to the attention of my 
colleagues and urge them to lend their support by cosponsoring this 
bill.

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