Senators Pushing More VA Funds

The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee is asking for an additional $380 million in discretionary spending for the Veterans Administration budget for next year.

Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, said in a statement released Monday that the majority of the committee wants to see more money put into improving existing VA hospitals, veterans caregiver support, and job training.

"We can never forget that caring for veterans is a cost of war, and must be treated as such," Akaka, who chairs the committee, said in his statement. The $125 billion VA budget proposed by President Barack Obama for fiscal 2011 already reflects an $11 billion increase over this year.

Both the Senate and House veterans' affairs committees have been hearing about funding shortfalls in testimony from a variety of veterans' organizations, including the American Legion, Order of the Purple Heart, and the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"A number of the veterans' groups highlighted the need for stronger caregiver support … and getting more resources into the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program," committee spokesman Kawika Riley told Military.com. Among those specifically weighing in on the two areas of assistance were the PVA, the Wounded Warrior Project, the Military Officers Association of America, the Blinded Veterans Association, and the Jewish War Veterans.

"For both of those areas, [Akaka] and a majority of the committee are recommending funding above the President's request," Riley said.

The White House budget already included about $60 billion in discretionary funding, mostly in health care, as well as nearly $65 billion in mandatory spending, largely for disability compensation and pensions.

The budget sent over from President Barack Obama also includes an increase of more than $460 million intended to attack the backlog of veteran's benefits claims that have been filed. With the budget increase the VA intends to hire up to 4,000 additional claims processors. According to White House figures just over 1 million claims were filed in 2009, a 75 percent increase from 2000, before the attacks on Sept. 11.

In 2011 the VA anticipates some 1.3 million will be filed, a 30 percent increase over 2009.

According to Riley, the $480 million the Senate committee wants to add to the bill would be divided in the following ways:

• Upgrade aging hospital infrastructure ($235 million)
• Support family caregivers through a new program ($57 million)
• Help disabled vets train for new employment ($20.5 million)
• Improve information technology ($30 million)
• Fund VA research ($25.5 million)
• Improve inspector general oversight of VA programs ($12 million)

"Our recommendations are for stronger funding to help disabled veterans train for new careers, provide support to family caregivers, and invest in medical and prosthetic research," Akaka said in a statement.