September 20, 2005
Contact: Jeff Schrade (202)224-9093

(Washington, DC) At a joint hearing of the House-Senate Committees on Veterans' Affairs, Senate Committee Chairman Larry Craig today praised the American Legion for its efforts to help victims of Hurricane Katrina and pledged to continue to work with the Legion on issues of importance to veterans nationwide.

"I know that many of your members have been affected by this terrible storm, and I commend the American Legion and its Auxiliary for its tremendous efforts in helping those in need," Craig said in remarks prepared for delivery.

(To see pictures taken the hearing, click on: American Legion joint House-Senate hearing 2005.)

Craig noted that since he became chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee this past January, the committee has been active in addressing the needs of veterans nationwide, including those in the Gulf Coast region.

"As part of the Senate's extensive efforts to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina, the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee adopted legislation last week that would allow VA to treat any veteran in the area affected by hurricane Katrina at no cost to the veteran until the end of January 2006," Craig said. "I can assure the members of the American Legion and its Auxiliary that I will continue to seek improvements in the provision of benefits and services to veterans and to monitor whether the needs of veterans affected by Hurricane Katrina are being met."

In his prepared remarks, Craig also noted that Congress dramatically increased the budget for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in recent years.

"The budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs has increased more than 40 percent since President Bush took office. While these types of dramatic increases cannot continue forever, it is very clear that this President and this Congress are committed to making life better for the nation's veterans," Craig said.

In July Congress approved a $1.5 billion emergency supplemental which Craig sought for. That money increased the VA's health care budget to over $28 billion for 2005. The overall budget for the VA is now over $70 billion per year.

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