In this June 21, 2013, file photo, the seal is affixed to the front of the Veterans Affairs Department building in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) If Congress does not include extra funding for Department of Veterans Affairs medical services in an upcoming stopgap spending bill, the department will struggle to keep up with demand for care, administration officials are warning.
On a conference call with reporters Monday, VA officials confirmed they are asking Congress to include an extra $12 billion for the department’s medical budget in the upcoming stopgap spending measure — which must be passed into law by the end of the month — to ensure outreach to veterans and growth of the system can continue apace without compromising wait times and staffing levels.
"We have been on an unprecedented outreach campaign to get more veterans into the system," Shereef Elnahal, the VA’s under secretary for health, said on the call. "So, if we have to be in a position to say, ‘Well, we can’t financially support the next set of veterans who can come into care, reduce their risk for suicide, get the highest quality care available,’ then that would be a decision that we don’t want to make. It’s not commensurate with the promise that we’ve made to folks who wore the uniform and defended our freedom."
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With lawmakers returning to Washington, D.C., on Monday evening after a five-week break and just three weeks to go before the government runs out of funding, Congress is expected to pass a stopgap spending bill known as a continuing resolution, or CR.
Typically, a CR simply extends existing funding levels while preventing agencies from starting new programs. But lawmakers sometimes include what they call "anomalies" that allow for some new funding or programs.
For the upcoming CR, the White House has requested Congress include an anomaly that covers an expected $12 billion shortfall in the VA’s medical budget next year. If the funding isn’t included in a CR, "VA may need to begin addressing any potential […]
$12 Billion More for VA Medical Budget Urgently Needed, Department Says
