2/16/04

VA FUNDING 2004

On a 65-28 vote, the Senate approved the FY2004 Omnibus spending bill (PL 108-199) which the president has signed. This bill includes funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs for the current fiscal year, which began last October. The bill provides a much-needed $2.6 billion increase in veterans' health care and represents a $1.1 billion increase over both the President's request and the House-passed budget. Appropriators rejected proposals by the administration to impose enrollment fees and higher co-pays on veterans without service-connected disabilities who earn more than $24,000 annually.

Since October, VA has been running on the same inadequate funding level as it had last fiscal year. Passage can be attributed by the many phone calls and emails Congress received from their constituents and the efforts of military fraternal organizations which helped push this important vote through. The Roll Call Vote is available at here. The vote ended the weeks of stalling that prevented veterans from receiving needed funding for health care. The fight will soon begin again, however. In February, the President will release his budget for fiscal year 2005, and we will begin a new year of budget battles. Your voice will be just as important then as it was today. Veterans planning to vote in the upcoming elections are encouraged to vote for legislators who support veteran legislation. [Source: Military Service Coalition Newsletter JAN 04]

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Obituaries:
Tribute to John Diesem
Col. Roy Jonkers
Col. Charlie Hoy
Major General Ratkovich
Col. Gus Planchon