VA’s Progress in Reducing Claims Backlog Threatened If Congress Does Not Approve Budget Soon, Secretary Principi Says

The Department of Veterans Affairs' success in decreasing a "huge backlog" of claims could be at risk if Congress does not pass a budget by February, VA Secretary Anthony Principi said recently, the AP/Washington Times reports. The total backlog of VA claims fell from 600,000 in March to 470,205 at the end of September; backlogged disability claims decreased from 422,935 to 348,702 in the same period. Principi said he has added 1,200 employees to the department's compensation and pension work force in the past year, adding that he hopes to hire 150 more workers, including registered nurses with medical training that could help them process disability claims. However, Principi said these plans now could be in jeopardy because Congress adjourned for the year without passing a budget and faces a $159 billion deficit when it returns in January. Principi said, "If we don't get a budget by January [or] February, I'm going to start cutting back (on new hires)." Principi has established a goal of reducing the disability and pension claims backlog to 250,000 with a 100-day turnaround time by summer 2003. He said, "I can't rescind my promise to do this, but clearly if we don't get a budget, it's going to hurt" (AP/Washington Times, 11/26).