American Legion Expresses Mixed Review for Proposed VA Budget

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May 20, 2016, 03:23 ET

WASHINGTON, May 20, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Legion shared discontentment for the House's proposed 2017 Military Construction-VA (MILCON-VA) appropriations bill, while praising the Senate's proposal.

Today both the Senate and the House put forth varying versions of MILCON-VA, with the Senate providing the requested funding for the Veterans Affairs Administration (VA) and the House falling short of that request.

"We have serious concerns about funding shortfalls in future years. How does Congress expect the VA to provide adequate health care to our nation's military veterans if they are not providing the needed funding to carry out those health care needs? We are grateful for the Senate's proposal. However, The American Legion fully expects all of Congress to provide the much needed funds that the President is requesting for the VA," American Legion National Commander Dale Barnett strongly expressed.

This follows much criticism in recent years of VA's ability to treat military veterans and process disability claims and appeals in a timely manner, and also repair an aging and crumbling infrastructure that is suffering from mold and insect infestation.

The Senate's draft of MILCON-VA, which was drafted by Chairman Kirk and Ranking Member Tester, includes funding to hire 300 new claims processors and 240 additional employees for the Board of Veterans Appeals. These initiatives are proposed to reduce the appeals backlog.

About The American Legion
The American Legion is the largest wartime veterans service organization with 2.2 million members in nearly 14,000 posts in communities across in America. The Legion, established by an act of Congress in 1919, was instrumental in getting the original GI Bill through Congress and the creation of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Media Contact: Crystal Jackson, Media Relations Manager, 202-263-5758, [email protected]

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SOURCE The American Legion