WALSH APPROVES EMERGENCY REPROGRAMMING OF FUNDING TO ADDRESS VA IDENTITY THEFT CRISIS

(Washington D.C.)- Congressman Jim Walsh yesterday approved the reprogramming of $25 million of previously appropriated Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Information Technology funding to support efforts to alert and assist veterans affected by the recent theft of VA electronic data.  The funding will come from existing FY 2006 accounts to primarily support the expansion of call center operations.

"Officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs must spend every waking moment working to alert and assist veterans impacted by this crisis," said Walsh.  "While no evidence yet exists that this missing data has been used illegally, the VA must reach out to alert affected veterans and their families of this threat, and it's my job as the VA's Chief House Appropriator to ensure it has the resources to do so."

Walsh agreed to have the VA reprogram funding from the following programs: $12 million from the Department's VA Network Management; $4.5 million from One-VA Eligibility and Registration; $1.5 million from the Veterans Benefits Administration's (VBA) IT Program Integrity/Data Management; and $7 million from the Veterans Health Administration's Health Data Repository.  Only those funds necessary for the call center will be reprogrammed to the VBA Telecommunications/Computing Infrastructure program.

"First and foremost the VA must do everything it can to right the situation and assist affected veterans," Walsh added.  "The trust of America's veterans is at stake."

Walsh, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs, has had oversight over the VA budget since FY 2000.

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