Seeking a $153 Billion VA Budget

Still far short of the decades long, and wars from, underfunding and ignoring what veterans were saying while those served sought not to Sacrifice, some of that ignored Finally being addressed, Agent Orange, PTS, Homeless Veterans',Gulf War Syndrome, National Cemeteries, to name but a few, by this present VA administration, Executive branch and it's Cabinet! But with the past four years of needed adds to the budget, especially with the near total obstruction also blocking the requests from the White House, has been much better then what wasn't done in the previous executive administration their congresses and with these two wars, wars still not paid for but especially the now long term results of! Rubber stamping and thus deficits rising rapidly started Before 9/11 and continued with those for these wars, off the books on the credit card and those that supported don't even think about the Sacrifice they should be demanding those they represent finally start for those that served them!

"If military action is worth our troops' blood, it should be worth our treasure, too; not just in the abstract, but in the form of a specific ante by every American." -Andrew Rosenthal 10 Feb. 2013

Care and Benefits for Veterans Strengthened by $153 Billion VA

WASHINGTON – April 10, 2013 - Continuing the transformation of the Department of Veterans Affairs into a 21st century organization, the President has proposed a $152.7 billion budget, a 10.2 percent increase over Fiscal Year 2013, that will support VA’s goals to expand access to health care and other benefits, eliminate the disability claims backlog, and end homelessness among Veterans. The budget includes $66.5 billion in discretionary spending, largely for healthcare, and $86.1 billion for mandatory programs – mostly disability compensation and pensions for Veterans.

“This budget will have a positive impact on the lives of Veterans, their families and survivors for generations to come,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “The President believes in Veterans and their families and believes in providing them the care and benefits they’ve earned and deserve.”

The $66.5 billion total in discretionary spending includes approximately $3.1 billion in collections from health insurers and Veteran copayments in addition to the $63.5 billion in discretionary funding announced last week.

“VA’s commitment to Veterans spans generations,” Shinseki added. “From the men and women of ‘the greatest generation’ to the Veterans who have returned from Iraq and those returning from Afghanistan, VA will make sure our benefits are useful and accessible.” read more>>>

“Why in 2009 were we still using paper?” VA Assistant Secretary Tommy Sowers “When we came in, there was no plan to change that; we’ve been operating on a six month wait for over a decade.” 27 March 2013

2014 Budget Request: Veterans Affairs

OMB proposes $3.7 billion for VA IT

April 10, 2013 - Under President Obama's fiscal 2014 budget request, information technology systems at the Veterans Affairs Department would receive a total discretionary budget authority of $3.683 billion. That means the budget for IT systems would be 15.16 percent more than the current year amount under the continuing resolution when accounting for inflation. The IT systems portion of VA's budget funds system development and performance, operations and maintenance, information protection and customer support, according to the budget document.

Under the president's request, VA IT would receive $495 million for development activity, which represents a decrease of 11.14 percent compared to funding under the current CR, when accounting for inflation. This budget line supports improvement initiatives for VA's financial management systems as well as the development of the Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record and the VA-Defense Department Integrated Electronic Health Record, according to the budget document. read more>>>

"We are dealing with veterans, not procedure; with their problems, not ours." General Omar Bradley, First Administrator of the Veterans Administration

$153 Billion VA Budget Request Seeks to Boost Care, Benefits

WASHINGTON, April 10, 2013 – President Barack Obama today proposed a $152.7 billion Veterans Affairs Department budget for fiscal year 2014, a 10.2 percent increase over fiscal 2013 funding that will support VA’s goals to expand access to health care and other benefits, eliminate the disability claims backlog, and end homelessness among veterans, VA officials said.

The budget request includes $66.5 billion in discretionary spending, largely for health care, and $86.1 billion for mandatory programs, mostly disability compensation and pensions for veterans. read more>>>

"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today." - Abraham Lincoln {but the country does after each modern war, since Korea, and no sacrifice as to Afghanistan and Iraq, Iraq both theaters!}