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WASHINGTON- Today, Congressman Henry E. Brown, Jr. (R-SC) made the following statement in support of the passage of H.R. 1016, the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009, as it would provide for two-year advanced appropriations for certain VA health care accounts:
“As the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Health I believe it is of chief importance to make sure that veterans receive the benefits they deserve. However this is no easy task as it requires the VA hospitals and care facilities to hire health care professionals, train support staffs and purchase medical supplies in a timely manner to ensure that every veteran can access the highest quality healthcare.
I am proud of the significant strides we have made since my first term as a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee to correct underfunding of veterans' programs, but as the VA cannot plan for the future, let alone make staffing or supply purchasing decisions, it remains difficult to provide a timely and sufficient budget. Fortunately, the advance appropriation is a substantial step towards remedying this problem.
This legislation will serve to actually get money moving towards the VA facilities sooner as Congress will approve the VA’s budget for veterans’ health one year in advance of when the funds would actually begin flowing. This should facilitate the accomplishment of our goals within the VA and it will allow the VA further planning time to provide sufficient and timely care for all of our nation’s heroes.”
Specifically, H.R. 1016, the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009, would ensure a timely budget for VA health programs by requiring an appropriation for VA health care one year in advance of when the funds would actually become available. In 19 of the 20 previous years, Congress failed to approve funding by the first of the fiscal year, complicating efforts to provide an efficient and effective health system.
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