February 14, 2007
Media contact: Jeff Schrade (202)224-9093

(Washington, DC) Veterans across the United States will benefit from Wednesday's passage of a continuing budget resolution which adds $3.55 billion to VA's budget for 2007. Of that, nearly $600 million will go for the medical treatment of those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"There are portions of the joint funding resolution that I did not like, but when it comes to veterans, Congress really came through," said Sen. Larry Craig, the immediate past chairman and now top Republican on the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. "While some veterans are always skeptical of Congress, it's clear that when a financial need has been identified, we have stepped up to the plate and provided the money."

The increase the Senate approved today means that Congress has added a total of approximately $8 billion above spending levels in 2006 for the nation's veterans. Total VA spending for 2007 will be just over $80 billion.

There are approximately 24.5 million veterans in the United States but not all will use VA medical care. The budget projects that an estimated 5.6 million patients will be served by VA in 2007. Of those, an estimated 209,000 veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are expected to show up for at least one medical care service from VA in 2007.

"Every veteran returning from a combat theater of operations has priority access to VA health care. The $600 million in this budget will help make certain that care is timely and of the highest quality," Craig said.

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