The Subcommittee on Health will now come to order.  I thank everyone for attending this hearing. The purpose of today’s hearing is to examine the fiscal year 2011 President’s budget request for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). 

The “Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009” provides for advance appropriations for the VA medical care accounts and was enacted into law on October 22, 2009.  In accordance with this Act, the President’s budget requests fiscal year 2011 and 2012 funding for the VA medical care accounts.

The Administration requests $48.2 million for VA medical care in FY 2011, which includes the medical services, medical support and compliance, and medical facilities accounts of the VA.  When medical care collections are included, the Administration requests $51.5 billion for VA medical care, which is $4 billion or 8.6 percent above the 2010 enacted level.  In fiscal year 2012, the Administration requests $54.3 billion for VA medical care, which is about $3 billion or 5.3 percent above the 2011 request. 

The fiscal year 2011 budget request addresses many of the shared priorities of this subcommittee, such as rural health, mental health, and homeless veterans.  The President’s budget request for the VA is a robust budget in the tradition of the significant funding increases that the VA has received in the past several years. 

Through today’s hearing, we will examine the President’s 2011 budget request for VHA, which includes the funding recommendations as well as policy and legislative proposals for the medical care accounts of VHA.  In addition, we will examine the IT and construction resources for VHA and will explore whether the budget request for the VA health care system provides sufficient resources to meet the needs of our returning servicemembers, including those who deployed as part of the troop surge to Afghanistan.

Today, we will hear from the VA’s Under Secretary for Health, as well as Paralyzed Veterans of America and Veterans of Foreign Wars who are the co-authors of the Independent Budget.  We will also hear from the American Legion.  I look forward to hearing their testimonies.