Nine of the nation's largest veterans service organizations, representing a combined 8 million members, have praised Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-Calif.), and a group of bipartisan cosponsors for introducing legislation Sept. 18 to reform the budget process to assure sufficient, timely and predictable funding for veterans' health-care programs.

The Partnership for Veterans Health Care Budget Reform, which worked closely with bill sponsors in drafting the legislation, is comprised of The American Legion, AMVETS, Blinded Veterans Association, Disabled American Veterans, Jewish War Veterans, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Vietnam Veterans of America.

American Legion National Commander David K. Rehbein said, "We applaud all of the bill's sponsors, who have taken the lead in Congress to create a lasting legacy for our veterans by reforming the budget process, to ensure that veterans health-care funding is sufficient, timely and predictable.

"VA appropriations have always been a concern of The American Legion," Rehbein said. "We go to Capitol Hill every year to fight that battle for sufficient money for medical care."

Rehbein's commentary on the Legion's efforts to get this historic legislation introduced by Congress can be seen on American Legion TV.

The new legislation, called the "Veterans Health Care Budget Reform Act," would authorize appropriations for VA health-care programs one year before the start of a fiscal year. It would also require Government Accountability Office to audit VA's budget forecasting model, and report to Congress and the public on the integrity and accuracy of that model. With these estimates in hand, Congress would be greatly enhanced in their ability to develop and enact sufficient funding levels for VA health care.

"While funding levels have increased in recent years, particularly over the past two years, Congress has failed to approve a new VA appropriation bill on time for 19 of the past 21 years," said DAV Commander Ray Dempsey. "Our polling results show that the American people overwhelmingly support a proposal to have Congress approve VA's health-care funding one year in advance to once and for all end these delays."

The poll, conducted by Belden, Russonello & Stewart, found that Americans believe veterans health-care funding is at the top of our national priorities, strongly believe that the government is not doing enough to support veterans, and overwhelmingly favor requiring Congress to determine the budget for veterans' health care one year in advance to prevent delays. The national telephone survey of 827 adults was conducted Aug. 20-24 and has a margin of error of 3.4 percent.

Reprinted from The American Legion Online Update. To subscribe to The American Legion Online Update, click here.