Last month, Congress went home until mid-November without addressing one of the most important concerns facing American veterans – adequate funding for the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) health care system and related benefits programs. Over the last six years, this Administration has consistently underfunded the VA by at least $9 billion, and the most recent budget they put forward would reduce veterans’ funding by $10 billion over the next 5 years.

Providing for our military veterans and their families is a continuing cost of war and should be an important component of our national defense policy. Indeed, our commitment to take care of our veterans and their families is a reflection of our nation’s priorities and values. It is time for this Congress and this Administration to change course and fully fund the VA, cease trying to shift the costs of health care onto the backs of veterans, and finally recognize and implement the concept of ‘shared sacrifice’ with respect to the federal budget.

Whether or not you agree with U.S. policy in Iraq, the fact is that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan along with the aging of our World War II, Korea and Vietnam War veterans have increased demand for VA services. However, year after year this Administration requests inadequate funding for veterans’ health care. Each year their budgets include proposals to increase veterans’ co-payments and fees, essentially taxing certain veterans for their health care. Each year this Administration fails to request what is needed for veterans programs, and relies on accounting gimmicks such as “management efficiencies” and inaccurate health care projections. Indeed, recently VA officials themselves acknowledged that greater funding was needed to care for our servicemembers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffering from mental health disorders and traumatic brain injuries.

Under this Administration’s tenure, health care waiting lines have increased, appointments and medical procedures have been delayed, more than 250,000 veterans have been turned away from entering the VA health care system, and disability and education claims backlogs have grown to unreasonable rates. Moreover, Congress has been forced to add billions of dollars in supplemental VA funding due to embarrassing funding shortfalls.

America’s soldiers have done their part to protect America. It is time for this Administration to provide adequate funding to ensure that our veterans returning home from tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and the heroes from our previous conflicts receive the care and benefits they have justly earned and deserve.

Sincerely,

GEORGE MILLER
Member Of Congress, 7th District