NEWS FROM….

    CONGRESSMAN LANE EVANS

    RANKING DEMOCRATIC MEMBER

    COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS

        U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FOR RELEASE: SUNDAY, JANUARY 16, 2000

Evans said the upcoming Administration budget will request $46 billion for veterans benefits and services for fiscal year 2001. The proposed $46 billion budget will provide $23.6 billion for mandatory entitlement programs for veterans, their dependents and survivors. These programs include service-connected disability compensation, pension and educational benefits.

In addition, $22.4 billion will be recommended for veterans health care programs, burial benefits and other non-mandatory veterans programs. The $22.4 billion, which includes anticipated VA medical collections, is a $1.5 billion increase in budget authority for non-mandatory veterans benefits and services compared to VA’s current year budget.

For veterans medical care, the new budget will request a total of $20.9 billion, Evans said. The expected $20.9 billion budget for veterans health care, Evans continued, means a "significant and needed" increase of $1.36 billion for veterans medical care. Evans said he was particularly pleased the Clinton-Gore budget requests the full cost of long-term and emergency care benefits enacted into law last year by Congress. "This budget recommends the funding needed by VA to make veterans’ emergency care and long-term care benefits more than just words on paper," Evans said. "The lack of emergency care has been a serious problem confronted by too many veterans for too long. Our veterans should never be forced to choose between obtaining emergency medical care and bankruptcy. That has literally been the choice too many veterans have been forced to make," Evans added.

Senator John D. Rockefeller (D-WV), Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans Committee also voiced support for the Clinton-Gore veterans budget proposal. "I expect to enthusiastically support the President’s budget with this very significant increase in health spending for veterans," Rockefeller said.

Commenting on the need for increased long-term care for America’s aging veteran population, Rockefeller said, "With this budget, the President will be taking an important step toward meeting the long-term care needs of our older citizens."

Evans also voiced strong support for the nearly $1 billion the Clinton-Gore budget will recommend to improve delivery of compensation, housing, education and pension benefits to veterans. "This is a nearly $140 million increase to improve delivery of benefits to veterans which they have been earned through their honorable service to the nation. This added funding together with the quality assurance program Congress enacted last year puts VA on the road to making better and quicker decisions on veterans claims for benefits," Evans continued.

For many veterans, Evans said, the only benefit they receive from a grateful Nation is a final resting place. I am particularly pleased the Administration budget will provide $110 million, a $13 million increase compared to the current budget, for the National Cemetery Administration. In addition to providing needed maintenance and improvements, with this increased funding VA will begin the process for planning new national cemeteries for veterans and their families in south Florida (Miami) and northern California (Sacramento).

"The Administration budget for veterans next year provides a solid foundation for Congress to begin its budget deliberations. This budget for veterans is an excellent starting point for Congress to begin to meet the challenges of providing the funding needed for veterans programs," Evans concluded.