House panel backs big boost for veterans' programs

The House Military Construction-Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee on Thursday unanimously approved a $72.7 billion fiscal 2009 funding bill that would provide a large increase in spending for veterans programs for the second year in a row.

The bill was referred to the full committee with strong bipartisan support and a plea from the ranking member that it would not get caught up in the political battles that have stalled most substantial legislation this year.

The measure would provide a total of $3.4 billion more than President Bush requested, including a $2.9 billion increase in VA funding. House Military Construction-Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Chet Edwards, D-Texas, noted that if approved by Congress that increase would make a total of $16.4 billion added to VA funding in two years.

Appropriations Chairman David Obey said the bill "demonstrates that the number one priority of this Congress is veterans."

The bill adds $400 million to Bush's request for military construction and Base Realignment and Closure, with an emphasis on improving family housing.

Edwards said the legislation "sends a clear message to America's service men and women, their families and our veterans that we appreciate and we respect their service and sacrifice."

House Military Construction-Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee ranking member Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., praised the bipartisanship that produced a "very good bill." Wamp sees room for work. "We need to complete the process. I would challenge both sides" to get this bill and the defense appropriations signed into law. "If we can't get together on these, we can't get together on anything," Wamp said.

Only one of the 12 fiscal 2008 funding bills -- defense -- became law. The rest of the government was funded by an omnibus appropriations bill.

The bill would provide $47.7 billion for VA, a $4.6 billion increase over 2008. It would add $1.6 billion to VA's health administration to "increase access to services, ensure safer facilities and improve treatment," he said. And it would require VA to spend "no less than $3.8 billion" on mental health services and $584 million for substance abuse programs, reflecting the increase in problems resulting from repeated combat tours.

The funding would pay for 1,400 more claims processers, above the 703 additional personnel Bush requested to cut the backlog in requests for benefits. And it would add $1.1 billion to VA's construction budget to cover six additional major building projects and 145 minor construction efforts.

The $24.8 billion approved for military construction, family housing and BRAC includes additional money for facilities to house and train the 92,000 extra soldiers and Marines being recruited to reduce the strain on the ground forces. It also adds $136 million for military health care facilities, a result of hearings that revealed inadequate and badly aged facilities, Edwards said.

The bill is scheduled for markup in the full committee on Thursday.