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Vet programs get $1.7 billion more in bill

House Democratic leaders have decided to add $1.7 billion to the wartime supplemental funding bill for some of the most pressing veterans’ programs.

“This is a sign of our commitment to veterans,” said Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Texas, chairman of the House military construction and veterans’ affairs appropriations subcommittee, who helped broker the deal that puts money for the Department of Veterans’ Affairs into what has become a $124 billion emergency spending bill

Edwards said $550 million is aimed at making overdue repairs in veterans’ hospitals and clinics that have been allowed to linger as a result of a backlog of maintenance caused by tight budgets. While national attention has focused on problems with facilities at Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Building 18, a vermin- and mold-plagued building that was being used for outpatients but is now closed for renovation, Edwards said there are veterans’ facilities in similar or even worse condition. The VA has a backlog of about $5 billion in maintenance and repairs, according to the appropriations committee staff.

The package has about $480 million for medical care shortfalls, $250 million for specific programs identified by VA and $229 million for what the appropriations committee believes is a new problem created because the Bush administration has underestimated the number of returning war veterans who will need VA health care.

In an effort to cut delays in getting decisions on disability claims, the bill includes $62 million to hire additional claims personnel and to digitize combat unit records so they are available when considering claims. That is enough money to hire about 400 people, Edwards said.

It would not result in an immediate reduction in the claims backlog because training claims processors can take a year or more, but Edwards said the need is still considered urgent.

“The sooner you hire them, the sooner they are trained,” he said.

The $1.7 billion also includes several health care initiatives, including asking for some outside help.

There is $20 million to have private-sector doctors provide some disability examinations, which would allow veterans to be seen closer to home. The funding would be used for a pilot program authorized in 1996 that might eliminate complaints about long travel and delays in getting approval of initial disability ratings.

Additionally, there is $100 million for contract mental health care to make certain Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, especially National Guard and reserve members, can get timely treatment.

Some of the money also would boost existing programs. For example, there is $6.3 million to establish polytrauma support clinic teams to improve case management for injured veterans, $35 million for better tracking of patients with traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder, and another $35 million for more research into traumatic brain injury, PTSD and prosthetics.

Similarly, the bill contains $75 million for a fifth polytrauma rehabilitation center, $23.8 million to complete a spinal cord injury center already under construction and $56 million for more state-of-the-art prosthetics.

The Bush administration has strong objections to many parts of the House Democratic wartime supplemental bill, and has threatened a veto if the final bill contains restrictions on money for military operations. But there have been no direct complaints about including more money for veterans.

However, a major veterans’ group, Veterans of Foreign Wars, has complained about Congress adding $21 billion to the administration request.

“Congress should have real budgetary debates and not use the emergency supplemental for unrelated spending priorities,” said VFW commander-in-chief Gary Kurpius in a letter to Congress.

Kurpius said the extra money for veterans and military medical care and for homeland security is appreciated, but the bill should stay focused on the war.

“I want you to tell your senators and representatives that they cannot separate the warrior from their mission, and that their mission cannot be accomplished without adequate and timely funding,” Kurpius said.

Kurpius also opposed adding restrictions on war funding that would force the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq beginning no later than March 2008, as Democrats propose.

“Tell Congress to give our troops the tools necessary to complete the mission we sent them on, to do it without delay, and to do it without tacking on unrelated expenses and controversial troop withdrawal language,” Kurpius said.