September 8, 2003
Honorable Dennis Hastert
Speaker
Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Democratic Leader
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Speaker Hastert and Leader Pelosi:
We, the undersigned, are pledged to work to secure the level of funding Congress resolved to add for veterans’ health care in fiscal year 2004 in H.Con.Res. 95.
Just prior to the summer district work period, the House voted to support the President’s budget request for veterans’ health care which added $1.4 billion to the amount appropriated for fiscal year 2003. Yet, by approving H.Con.Res. 95, the Congress had committed to add $3.2 billion ($1.8 billion over the President’s budget) to the fiscal year 2003 level.
The $1.8 billion in additional funds would be used to replace the projected revenues and cost savings that would have been associated with the increased copayments for medications and for the new enrollment fees proposed for certain veterans. We rightly rejected these proposals, but VA was counting on us approving them to make its budget work.
Additional funding would help VA retain nursing home care beds for veterans. It would allow VA to address the unreasonable waiting times that exist for thousands of veterans. VA also desperately needs adequate funding to make its facilities safe, efficient, and modern and to allow for enhancements promised to veterans through the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services process.
Veterans everywhere are extremely disappointed in the House’s action on funding VA health care for fiscal year 2004. We want to take our last chance to honor the commitment we made to fund veterans’ health care. We ask you to instruct the House conferees to add $1.8 billion to the fiscal year 2004 appropriation for VA health care.
Sincerely,
_____________________________ ______________________________
LANE EVANS BOB FILNER
Ranking Democratic Member
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LUIS GUTIERREZ CORRINE BROWN
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VIC SNYDER CIRO RODRIGUEZ
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MICHAEL MICHAUD DARLENE HOOLEY
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SILVESTRE REYES TED STRICKLAND
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SHELLEY BERKLEY TOM UDALL
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SUSAN DAVIS TIM RYAN
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GRACE NAPOLITANO LEONARD BOSWELL
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BARBARA LEE JOSEPH HOEFFEL
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MIKE MCINTYRE MICHAEL CAPUANO
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RODNEY ALEXANDER ZOE LOFGREN
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HENRY WAXMAN DENNIS MOORE
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RUSH HOLT JAMES LANGEVIN
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EARL POMEROY ELLEN TAUSCHER
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COLLIN PETERSON BRAD MILLER
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ED CASE MAXINE WATERS
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ALCEE HASTINGS CAROLYN MCCARTHY
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JUANITA MILLENDER-MCDONALD TOM ALLEN
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JOHN LARSON WILLIAM DELAHUNT
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TAMMY BALDWIN STEVEN ROTHMAN
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CHRIS VAN HOLLEN STEVEN ISRAEL
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DAVID SCOTT BERNIE SANDERS
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GARY ACKERMAN JIM DAVIS
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LLOYD DOGGETT GEORGE MILLER
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CHARLES STENHOLM JOE BACA
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JULIA CARSON MARTIN FROST
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BILL PASCRELL JAN SCHAKOWSKY
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DENNIS CARDOZA RUBÉN HINOJOSA
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ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON DONALD PAYNE
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TIM HOLDEN FRANK PALLONE
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ROBERT ANDREWS DANNY DAVIS
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RAÚL GRIJALVA PETER DEFAZIO
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NEIL ABERCROMBIE SAM FARR
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TOM LANTOS JAMES OBERSTAR
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GENE TAYLOR CHET EDWARDS
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C.A. DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER JIM MORAN
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RICK BOUCHER RICHARD NEAL
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CHRIS JOHN DALE KILDEE
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MAX SANDLIN DENNIS KUCINICH
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WILLIAM JEFFERSON SHERROD BROWN
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NICK RAHALL DIANA DEGETTE
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JIM MCDERMOTT SHEILA JACKSON LEE
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XAVIER BECERRA ELIOT ENGEL
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BARNEY FRANK MARTIN MEEHAN
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ROBERT WEXLER MAURICE HINCHEY
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MARION BERRY ED MARKEY
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ED PASTOR JIM MATHESON
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ANNA ESHOO JERROLD NADLER
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TIM BISHOP SOLOMON ORTIZ
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ROBERT MATSUI GENE GREEN
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MIKE THOMPSON STEPHEN LYNCH
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JOHN DINGELL JOHN TIERNEY
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ROSA DELAURO LOIS CAPPS
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BRAD CARSON JIM COOPER
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ROBERT MENENDEZ MICHAEL MCNULTY
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MIKE ROSS JIM MCGOVERN
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BETTY MCCOLLUM LYNN WOOLSEY
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LINCOLN DAVIS BOBBY SCOTT
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BART GORDON JOSEPH CROWLEY
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MIKE DOYLE KEN LUCAS
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ADAM SCHIFF
cc: Honorable C.W. Bill Young
Chairman, Committee on Appropriations
Honorable David Obey
Ranking Democratic Member, Committee on Appropriations
Honorable James T. Walsh
Chairman, Subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent Agencies
Honorable Alan B. Mollohan
Ranking Democratic Member, Subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent Agencies