Veterans funding increase praised.

Legislation to boost funding for veterans programs to $87.7 billion next year is being hailed as a major victory by the DAV. The bill passed by the House of Representatives calls for an 18 percent increase over the VA's 2007 funding level.

The $109.2 billion bill would provide $43.29 billion in discretionary funding for the VA. "This represents a significant, much-needed investment in health care and the benefits delivery system for our nation's sick and disabled veterans," said National Legislative Director Joseph A. Violante. "The recommended funding increase will allow the VA to better meet the needs of the men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as all veterans who have served in the past."

The bill would increase VA health care funding by $6 billion over the 2007 level, $294 million more than recommended in The Independent Budget authored by the DAV and three other major veterans service organizations. "This is the first time that lawmakers have surpassed our recommendations in the 21 years that we have been publishing The Independent Budget," Violante noted. The bill also funds the VA biomedical research program at $480 million, as recommended in The Independent Budget, an increase of $68 million over the 2007 funding level.

In addition to the increase for veterans medical care and construction projects, the bill includes enough funding for the VA to hire more than 1,000 new employees to tackle a large backlog of almost 640,000 disability compensation claims. Cutting the backlog would reduce the time veterans must wait for a decision on their benefits, which averages nearly six months for an original claim and more than two years for initial appeals.

"The proposed increase in VA funding is a recognition that caring for our veterans is a continuing cost of national security and a willingness to provide the resources to meet those needs," Violante said. The DAV praised House Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee Chairman Chet Edwards (D-Texas) for his leadership in crafting the measure, as well House Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt (D-S.C.), Appropriations Committee Chairman David R. Obey (D-Wis.) and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for their support of additional funding for veterans programs.

Rep. Edwards said the bill "sends a clear message" to veterans that "a grateful nation deeply respects their service and sacrifice."

The measure is among more than a dozen spending bills needed to fund the federal government in the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1 and it could be modified as it makes its way through the Senate and onto the President's desk. Overall, the spending proposal would provide $4 billion more than requested by the President.