NEWS FROM….
CONGRESSMAN LANE EVANS
RANKING DEMOCRATIC MEMBER
COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
| Room 333 Cannon HOB | For More Information Contact: |
| Washington, DC 20515 | Bill Crandell @ 202-225-9756 |
For Release: IMMEDIATELY
How Can $3 Billion in Emergency Funding
For Veterans Medical Care Next Year
Equal the Administration’s $1 Billion Request?
"I was astonished," says Congressman Lane Evans of Illinois, the Democratic Leader of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. "The news this morning said the House Appropriations Subcommittee was providing $3 billion in emergency funding for veterans medical care next year. The bottom line was even more astonishing -- the additional $1 billion for VA medical care Vice President Gore called for earlier this week, provides the same level of VA medical care funding as the $3 billion of emergency funding." It’s voodoo appropriations.
The Administration’s initial FY 2000 VA Medical Care Request: $17.306 billion
VA-HUD-Independent Agencies House Appropriations Subcommittee Action:
$17.306 billion Administration FY 2000 Request for VA Medical Care
-2.000 billion Subcommittee Reduces Administration FY 2000 Request for VA Medical Care (funds requested by the Administration for VA Medical Care in FY 2000 are allocated by the Subcommittee to ___________ non-VA programs)
$15.306 billion Remainder of Administration requested appropriation for FY 2000 VA Medical Care + 3.00 billion Emergency funding for FY 2000 VA Medical Care
$18.306 billion Subcommittee FY 2000 VA Medical Care Appropriation
The Administration’s FY 2000 funding request for VA Medical Care:
$17.306 billion Administration FY 2000 Request for VA Medical Care
+ 1.00 billion Administration proposed increase for FY 2000 VA Medical Care
$18.306 billion Total Administration FY 2000 Request for VA Medical Care
The "emergency funding" needed for VA medical care next year was created by the VA-HUD-Independent Agencies Subcommittee when it reduced, by $2 billion, the Administration’s initial request for VA medical care funding. This $2 billion was used by the appropriators to fund other non-VA programs. The guise of "emergency funding" for the VA really is just blue smoke and mirrors for putting $2 billion into other non-VA programs.
"When the appropriators robbed Peter (VA medical care) to pay Paul (somebody else)," says Evans, "they created a VA medical care funding emergency for FY 2000." The solution: Provide "$3 billion in emergency funding" for VA medical care for FY 2000. "Creating funding emergencies and solving them
by cooking the books is all in a day’s work," Evans says.The result of these shenanigans is the $1 billion increase in funding for VA medical care recommended by Vice President Gore. "The fact is," Evans says, "veterans should be outraged by this flim-flam by the VA-HUD-Independent Agencies Subcommittee. Veterans have been used as a shill to provide funding for other programs. Have they no shame?"
Is there any wonder why the public lacks confidence in Congress?
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