June 28, 2005

Media Contact: Jeff Schrade (202) 224-9093

(Washington, DC) After conducting a bruising hearing about the budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Senator Larry Craig (R-Idaho), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, said that he will offer up an amendment on the floor of the Senate to add $1.5 billion more to the VA's budget for 2005. 

Joining him that effort will be Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pennsylvania) who chairs the Senate Republican Conference, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-Texas) who chairs the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Sen. Jon Kyl, Chairman of the Senate's Republican Policy Committee.

?During our hearing today, Secretary Nicholson and his staff were asked tough questions about the VA's  budget and how we got into this current budget crunch.  I'm frankly frustrated to be put into this situation of having to seek even more money for veterans after we recently approved adding $1.2 billion more for 2006, but this Congress will not fail our nation's veterans,? Craig said. 

?The $1.5 billion we will be seeking for this fiscal year should provide the VA with more than enough to backfill the VA's current needs under the 2005 budget and carry over more money into 2006.?

Earlier in the day, Senate Democrats led by Senator Robert Byrd (D-West Virginia) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Washington) offered an amendment to add $1.42 billion to the VA's budget for 2005. 

Craig said at today's hearing that he intends to work with the VA to develop a new budget model for VA so that the agency has timely information about its resource needs.  Under the current estimating process, the VA used numbers from 2002 to reach its request for 2005. 

?We're going to fix this problem, in a very bipartisan way, to fund the necessary services that veterans need,? Craig said.

The Chairman also said that next year the committee will conduct a mid-year review of VA's budget to see whether the budget assumptions are proving to be accurate.

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