July 26, 2002

The Honorable George W. Bush

The President

The White House

Washington, DC  20500

Dear Mr. President:

          Today, Congress presented for your signature, a bill making supplemental appropriations for further recovery from and response to terrorist attacks on the United States for the Fiscal Year Ending September 30, 2002, and for other purposes (H.R. 4775).  I urge you to sign this bill.

          This bill would provide an additional amount of $417 million for the Medical Care account within the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs.  I appreciate you honoring your pledge to Secretary Principi to request funds in the amount of $142 million for the additional costs for new Priority 7 veterans who enroll in the VA health care system in fiscal year 2002.  Congress saw fit to authorize another $275 million to address the costs of caring for VA’s core population in higher priority groups.

          It is now incumbent on you, Mr. President, to designate the entire amount of $417 million as emergency spending pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended.  There are compelling reasons for you to do so immediately.  

          On July 12, 2002, responding to my requests for information about veterans’ waiting times, Secretary Principi advised me that as of July 1, 2002, more than 300,000 veterans were awaiting their first appointment for health care or had waited longer than six months for follow up care.  This number does not reflect the thousands of veterans who are also waiting to enroll in the Veterans Health Administration.  I am advised by one VA medical center alone that, as of March 14, 2002, there were more than a thousand veterans waiting to enroll in that center or in one of its clinics.  Network directors acknowledge that their medical centers maintain waiting lists for enrollment, which are likely to include service-connected veterans who have earned the highest priority for care and who, by law, are not required to enroll.

          I am sure you share my concerns about the problems VA is experiencing in meeting veterans’ demand for services in their health care system.  VA will have little recourse to address these waiting times without additional funding. I urge you to take the appropriate action in designating the full amount of $417 million as emergency spending.

          I appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

LANE EVANS
Ranking Democratic Member

cc:  The Honorable Anthony J. Principi