 |
| House Passes $1 Million for Kirtland Training Center |
May 19, 2006 |
| |
Military Quality of Life Act Provides Healthcare for Troops, VA
Washington, DC – The House today passed H.R. 5385, the fiscal year 2007 Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, by a vote of 395-0, with more than $1 million for the Parajumper/Combat Rescue Recovery Training Center at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque.
The bill, which will now await consideration in the U.S. Senate, provides 94.7 billion funding, an increase of nearly $10 billion over 2006 appropriations, including the most support ever for Veterans’ medical services. The bill emphasizes health care for those who served or are serving our country in the Armed Forces. It protects veterans from medical fee increases initially proposed in the Administration budget.
“We can never truly repay the men and women who serve and sacrifice to keep our nation free, but we can fulfill our national commitments to good medical care,” Wilson said.
Highlights of the bill:
Provides a historic $25 billion for Veterans Medical Services – $2.6 billion above last year’s level – a 70 percent increase in total funding over the last 6 years;
Increases funding by $20 million to improve existing state veterans’ homes;
Increases basic medical research funding by $13 million, for a total of $412 million;
Adds $12 million to upgrade Veterans Affairs medical research facilities nationwide; and
Increases the Defense health program by $1 billion, for a total of $21 billion.
- END - |
|
|
|