Thank you to everyone for being here to discuss the Department of Veterans Affairs budget request for Fiscal Year 2009.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you Secretary Peake on your recent appointment to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Mr. Secretary, as you may know, I am the Chairwoman of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee.  I look forward to working with you to ensure our servicemen and women have the benefits they have earned and deserve to successfully transition to civilian life.  Most notably, I look forward to working with you to update the Montgomery GI Bill to ensure educational benefits reflect the increased mission tempo and high cost of a secondary education of the 21st Century.

Although the President’s budget provides increased funding for the VA, I do not believe it is sufficient to meet the needs of our veterans.  In particular, I am worried that this budget is not honest in its assessment of the cost associated with treating both the current veteran population and the newest generation of veterans ­­– many of whom are returning home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with PTSD, TBI, and other injuries that will require a lifetime of care. 

Finally, I am disappointed that the budget again proposes annual enrollment fees and increasing pharmacy co-payments.  We should not be shifting the burden for veterans’ health care to veterans themselves.  I look forward to working with my colleagues in a bipartisan manner to eliminating this tax on veterans and addressing the other shortfalls of this budget proposal. 

Again, I want to thank everyone for taking the time to be here to discuss these important matters.