Veterans Groups Lobby Congress To Approve VA Budget One Year in Advance To Improve Veterans’ Health Care

A coalition of veterans' groups called Stand Up For Veterans is lobbying for Congress to prepare the Department of Veterans Affairs budget one year in advance to give the agency a "more predictable funding stream" and improve health care for veterans, the Christian Science Monitor reports. According to the Monitor, the coalition believes preparing its budget in advance would shield VA from "political wrangling" that can result in funding delays that compel the agency to freeze hiring, reduce some services and lengthen waiting-room delays "to the point that some veterans simply go home."

Although VA funding has increased over the past several years, approval of the appropriations has often been delayed for months into the fiscal year for which it was designated. According to the Monitor, VA funding was approved 142 days into FY 2003, 114 days into FY 2004 and 137 days into FY 2007.

The Monitor reports that veterans groups have for years worked to make VA funding mandatory spending, rather than discretionary spending, making it "essentially automatic." However, because past efforts have failed, this year the groups are pushing for VA funding to become an "advance appropriation," under which Congress approves the budget one year ahead of time. According to the Monitor, such a procedure would minimize funding delays' effect on health care services and "lock in funding" each year.

Although "it may seem like special treatment, veterans say they deserve that," according to the Monitor. Peter Dickinson, a coordinator for Stand Up for Veterans, said, "We believe unapologetically that veterans do deserve to be taken care of first." However, advocates for taxpayers "cringe at the idea" because they believe it would limit Congress' ability to monitor federal spending.

On Saturday, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) will speak to a group of veterans in Las Vegas, where organizers hope McCain will pledge his support for the plan. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) will appear at the event by video teleconference.

Comments
Joseph Violante, national legislative director for Disabled American Veterans, said, "All we're asking them to do is fund VA at the level that is needed, not at the level the government wants to spend." Steve Ellis, vice president at Taxpayers for Common Sense, said, "I don't think anyone is suggesting that we stiff our veterans, but there is a level of flexibility that you need to have in the discretionary budget" to maintain oversight. Ellis added, "You end up spending more through advance appropriations" (Lubold, Christian Science Monitor, 8/8).