July 20, 1999

Dear Colleague:

The National Journal Congress Daily AM recently reported, "Budget Committee Chairman Kasich confirmed in a July 13 letter to Ways and Means Committee Chairman Archer that, based on the budget resolution and the new CBO projections, ‘I believe your bill should cut taxes by $5 billion in fiscal year 2000, $200 billion over five years and $864 billion over 10 years’."

The Budget Resolution adopted in April also provided $1.7 billion more than the Administration proposed for VA discretionary spending next fiscal year. This increase was only for one year - fiscal year 2000 - but after years of flat-line spending, virtually everybody in Congress agreed that veterans health care needed more money.

In spite of this budget blueprint for VA discretionary spending in FY 2000, the House VA, HUD and Independent Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee has been allocated eight percent (8 %) less discretionary spending for FY 2000 than Congress enacted for this year.

For the Republican leadership, the Budget Resolution was a blueprint for a $864 billion tax break bill reported by the Ways and Means Committee last week. Will the Budget Resolution also be a blueprint for increasing VA discretionary spending by $1.7 billion in FY 2000? Veterans are waiting and watching to find out.

Sincerely,

LANE EVANS
Ranking Democratic Member