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Photo by John Raughter |
The national commander of The American Legion once again pleaded with members of Congress and also urged President Bush to finish the FY 2008 VA budget this week.
“As a continuing cost of war, funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs must simply and accurately be factored in the budget,” National Commander Marty Conatser reminded elected officials.
After intense negotiations between the White House and congressional leadership, this week Congress is taking up the final Omnibus Appropriations Act for FY 2008.
Earlier this session, both the House and Senate overwhelming passed HR 2642, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of FY 2008 that called for increased funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs by $3.7 billion more than the president’s budget request. This met the funding recommendations of The American Legion and every other major veterans’ service organization.
The president told Congress he would not veto HR 2642 even though it exceeded his budget recommendations. However, Congress chose to package the Mil-Con/VA Appropriations bill with other appropriations measures.
The president then informed Congress he would veto any funding recommendations that exceeded his overall budget request of $933 billion. Therefore, the $3.7 billion increase in VA funding would require offsets from other discretionary funding in other federal accounts. Not having enough votes to override a veto, a new omnibus funding measure was created by congressional leadership.
To preserve the funding increase for VA, this new omnibus bill contains an ‘emergency provision’ that would require the president to declare an emergency in order to receive the additional $3.7 billion. The declaration has to be made no later than January 18, 2008.
“It’s essential this bill be passed and signed for the well-being of our troops, veterans and their families,” Conatser said. “Then the president needs to release the $3.7 billion. We are a nation at war and this funding it critically needed. Many veterans returning from war continue to fight up-front and personal battles with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury and other physical and psychological challenges,” Conatser explained. “They’re attempting to regain their health and well-being though the VA. Our troops and families are bearing the personal burden of this war and deserve the best health care possible,” he said.
The American Legion was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of strong national defense, veterans affairs, Americanism and patriotic youth programs. The Legion’s 2.7 million wartime veterans work for the betterment of their communities through more than 14,000 posts across the nation.
