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 P R E S S  R E L E A S E - Thursday September 21, 2006 this is an invisible spacer image
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Committee hears legislative views of millions of veterans

House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
Chairman Steve Buyer (R- Ind.) enjoyed a
laugh with those in attendance at the
September 20 hearing, as VFW
Commander in Chief, Gary Kurpius shares
memories while on active duty.

More Pictures

Washington, D.C. — Today, in the first of two “Look Back, Look Ahead” legislative hearings, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs heard the issues and concerns of 11 veterans’ and military service organizations (VSOs and MSOs) in what Committee Chairman Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) termed “the opening of the Fiscal Year 2008 VA budget process.” 

“Last February, before we developed the FY 2007 views and estimates, the committee heard from 19 VSOs and MSOs, some of whom we had not heard from before.  That was powerful,” Buyer said.  He scheduled this week’s hearings to review the fiscal year just ending and look forward into the next year. “The timing of a September hearing is auspicious because the administration is now beginning to develop its next-year budget request,” he said.  For that reason, Buyer commended the sensible example set by The American Legion as well as the House Armed Services Committee in having fall hearings.

Top issues voiced by VSOs and MSOs included funding for veterans’ health care, with many calling for mandatory funding to ensure that all veterans eligible for VA health care; essentially 26 million veterans are eligible for VA health care.  Buyer opposes mandatory or “assured” funding.

“According to the Congressional Budget Office, mandatory funding would cost nearly half-a-trillion dollars over ten years. That would be a costly experiment.  In contrast, the strong discretionary budgets of the past decade have proven responsive to change,” Buyer said, citing the near-doubling of VA’s budget in the last ten years and the high-quality medicine that strong VA funding has supported.

Most testimony also highlighted concern over the growing backlog of disability compensation claims at VA.  “This issue is the elephant in the room,” Buyer said.  He noted that he would soon be meeting with his task force on accountability.  The task force comprises veterans’ advocates examining issues across the VA to improve accountability department-wide.

Buyer linked the urgent need to reform VA’s information technology and security to his top priorities, which are caring for veterans who have service-connected disabilities, those with special needs, and the indigent; ensuring a seamless transition from military service to the VA; and providing veterans every opportunity to live full, healthy lives.

“The recent theft of personal data belonging to millions of veterans has shown the utter necessity that VA must have centralized management over information technology, information policy, and information security,” Buyer said.  “If you are outraged by lapses in security and unnecessary risks to your members, join with me in dislodging the status quo and doing the right thing for veterans.”

Last month, Buyer, VA Secretary Nicholson, Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Chairman John Boozman (R-Ark.), and committee member John Salazar (D-Colo.) visited U.S. military health care facilities in Kuwait, Iraq and Germany to assess the continuum of health care from medical corpsman to level-4 medical facility. 

“We were impressed by the quality of care,” Buyer said. “Yet between DoD and VA, we still have a gap.  Wounded GIs arriving at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center minutes after we arrived had paper medical records in files on their chests.  Largely because of the Pentagon’s foot-dragging, VA and DoD still do not have a truly interoperable system of electronic medical records.  We must do better.”

The issue of attorney representation for VA claims applicants produced disagreement among VSOs and MSOs, some fearing that legal wrangling would increase the backlog; others believing that legal representation would help claimants prevail in what they called an “adversarial” relationship that has developed between VA and veterans.  “Some think that if we bring lawyers into the process that will help solve the problem.  I am apprehensive at the prospect of more lawyers.  But I will be a good listener,” Buyer said.

“These are issues that are not going to go away,” Buyer told the commanders and leaders of the VSOs and MSOs.  He thanked them for their substantive testimony and said, “You make a great difference in the tone and tenor of our country.  We are at war in two theaters and still have responsibilities globally.  Our men and women in uniform are performing their duty magnificently.  They are coming home with the simple expectation that we will be there for them.”

“It is up to all of us to help these returning servicemembers transition into civilian life.  VA has its structure, but personal contact, which is your strength, plays an irreplaceable role,” Buyer said.  “When you put your arm around a young lance corporal just back from — you name the province or city — you help honor our promise.”

Please visit our website at http://veterans.house.gov

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