Lawmakers: Pass VA budget a year in advance

[unhappycamper]

Lawmakers: Pass VA budget a year in advance
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Sep 22, 2008 6:43:22 EDT

In response to years of complaints about late and unpredictable veterans’ health care funding, the House and Senate veterans’ affairs committee chairmen have introduced a proposal to provide funding one year in advance.

This is exactly what the Partnership for Veterans Health Care Budget Reform, a group of nine veterans groups, had been calling for.

The idea is a radical change from current law, and would treat the Veterans Affairs Department budget differently than budgets for other federal agencies.

It is unlikely the legislation would come to a vote this year, but its introduction — slightly more than a month before the general elections — gives veterans the chance to try to press more lawmakers to get on board. The proposal would need substantial support just to get serious consideration, according to congressional aides involved in federal budgeting issues.

VA runs the largest health care system in the nation, “but its funding is untimely and unpredictable,” said Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, the Senate veterans committee chairman. “Advance funding for veterans’ health care is better for veterans, taxpayers, and VA.”


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/09/military_va_advancefunding_091908w/%2e