WASHINGTON, March 4 – Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement today on President Barack Obama’s budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs:

“The president’s budget reflects a continued commitment to ensuring that veterans receive the care and benefits they deserve.  It would provide the resources necessary to seriously combat veterans’ homelessness.  And it would continue to provide increased funding to eliminate the disability claims backlog at the VA.  It is disappointing, however, that the budget doesn’t provide all of the resources necessary to keep pace with health care inflation and enroll new veterans.  As chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I will be working to correct this.

“Congress has an opportunity to do even more to meet the needs of veterans and their families by passing comprehensive legislation that would expand health care, education, job-training and other programs. A majority of senators last week voted for a bill that was supported by virtually every major  veterans organization the country. Unfortunately, Senate Republican leaders used a procedural vote to sidetrack the legislation. I continue to hope that at least on this issue – the need to protect and defend our veterans and their families – we could rise above the partisan politics that we see too often in Congress. I am proud that we received every Democratic vote and that two Republicans also voted with us. I am going to keep fighting for this important legislation.”