MEDIA RELEASE

Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) applauded the veterans provisions included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which was passed by the Senate on Sunday and sent to the President’s desk.

Akaka noted the bill includes a multi-billion-dollar increase in the annual budget of the Department of Veterans Affairs and, for the first time, advance funding for the subsequent fiscal year as authorized by the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act.

“Caring for veterans is a cost of war, and must be treated as such,” Akaka said. “This bill recognizes our sacred obligation to those who have served.  It substantially increases VA’s budget and provides the first appropriation for advance funding of veterans’ health care, which will provide veterans’ hospitals and clinics with the timely and predictable funding they need.”

H.R. 3288, The Consolidated Appropriations Act, includes $109.6 billion in funding for VA in fiscal year 2010, $15.3 billion above the previous year.  The bill also provides $48.2 billion in advance appropriations for VA health care in fiscal year 2011.

President Barack Obama signed the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act into law Oct. 22, 2009.