Hallelujah!....i Told You They'd Come Through For Us!

[Gimpy]

UPDATE: VA BUDGET WILL GET $3.6 BILLION INFUSION

I kept telling everyone that once the "DEMS" got in charge things would start to get better for us vets! Well it looks as though my predictions and statements about these issues are bearing fruit and finally becoming a reality!

Case in point are three articles/statements below that were released in the past couple of days.

____________________________________________


News from Congressman Chet Edwards

17th District, Texas ? 2369 Rayburn Building, Washington, D.C. 20515-4311 (202) 225-6105

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Edwards: 2007 Joint Funding Resolution Increases VA Healthcare Budget By $3.6 Billion Above 2006 Level


(WASHINGTON, DC) - U.S. Representative Chet Edwards today announced that the budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs under the fiscal year 2007 Joint Funding Resolution is $3.6 billion higher for veterans' medical care than the budget approved by the previous Congress for fiscal year 2006, $3.4 billion overall. Edwards, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, emphasized that while the increase is significant, the level is consistent with the need to keep up with health care inflation and the increasing number of veterans coming into the VA health care system.

"This increased funding level is good news for America's veterans, because it provides $278 million dollars more a month for the VA health care system compared to the budget passed by the previous Congress. The sooner this bill is passed and sent to the president, the better, since continued funding of the VA at 2006 levels could force harmful cuts in health care services for hundreds of thousands of veterans due to health care inflation and the increasing number of veterans using the VA health care system."

As Chairman, Edwards fought for a significant increase in VA health care funding, despite the tight budget constraints enacted by the previous Congress.

"I will never understand why the previous congressional leadership refused to pass the veterans' health care funding bill, instead allowing funding to proceed for the last four months at last year's funding levels. This bill will correct that wrong," said Edwards. "Our veterans have kept their promises to our nation, and we felt it was our duty to keep our promises to them. I applaud Chairman Obey for writing a bill that clearly makes veterans our top priority."

The following are the totals for VA and military construction:

Department of Veterans Affairs

o Veterans Healthcare: $32.3 billion, an increase of $3.6 billion above the fiscal year 2006 funding level

o VA discretionary total is $36.5 billion, an increase of $3.4 billion above fiscal year 2006 funding level.

o Fully funded pay raises (other agencies only receive 50% of pay raise)

Military Construction

o $6.2 billion for military construction

o $4 billion for family housing program

o U.S. Army would receive $250 million more than fiscal year 2006 level.

o BRAC accounts will receive a $1 billion increase above the fiscal year 2006 level, for a total of $2.5 billion.

"While this bill did not fully fund the BRAC accounts for 2007, Congress will have the opportunity to address the rest of the funding requirements in the upcoming Fiscal Year 2007 Supplemental, which should be passed in the spring," said Edwards.

The House is expected to vote on the fiscal year 2007 Joint Funding Resolution Wednesday.

Edwards is the Chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee.


-------END--------

_______________________________________________


Budget bill gets House approval

By ANDREW TAYLOR
The Associated Press


WASHINGTON - A must-pass bill covering about one-sixth of the federal budget, $463.5 billion, swept through the House on Wednesday. A sizable chunk of Republicans joined virtually all Democrats in approving spending increases for education, veterans and the AIDS battle in Africa.


The 286-140 vote, with 57 Republicans voting in favor, was a pleasant surprise for Democrats who expected far less GOP support. The bill had much to please the rank and file, including GOP moderates, even though it contained no pet projects for their districts.


"The content is a heck of a lot better than most expected we'd come up with," said the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. David Obey, D-Wis. He worked with his Senate counterpart, Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., to add money for initiatives popular with both Democrats and Republicans.


The White House has signaled that President Bush will sign the bill despite cuts to his requests for NASA, foreign aid and communities affected by the latest round of military base closings.


Many agencies are feeling a crunch from operating for four months at or below last year's levels. The administration was eager for relief for the FBI, Census Bureau, Veterans Affairs Department and others.


The bill provides increases for underperforming schools, health research and grants to state and local law-enforcement agencies.


It provides a $260 boost, to $4,310, in the maximum Pell Grant for low-income college students, and a 40 percent increase, to $4.5 billion, for fighting AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis overseas.


Agencies winning budget relief in the bill include:


Veterans Affairs -- $3.6 billion more for veterans medical care.


The National Institutes of Health -- $620 million more for research grants.


Amtrak, whose budget would be frozen at $1.3 billion instead of absorbing a $400 million cut proposed by Bush.


The Census Bureau -- money for new computers for field workers.

-------END--------


______________________________________________


Veterans Welcome Funding Increase



WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Organizations representing millions of America's veterans have hailed passage of legislation in the House of Representatives that provides much-needed health care funding for their sick and disabled comrades, including those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The stop-gap budget bill, or continuing resolution, funding much of the federal government for the current fiscal year includes a $3.6 billion increase for the Department of Veterans Affairs while spending for many other agencies was held at the 2006 level.


The four veterans' service organizations who co-author The Independent Budget said the increase in VA health care funding shows that the House has meaningfully expressed its belief that veterans should be a priority. They urged swift passage of the measure in the Senate as well. The $25.4 billion for medical services contained in the continuing resolution is slightly below
the nearly $26 billion recommended by AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the groups praised House leaders for coming together in support of health care for our nation's defenders.


The groups noted that chronic under-funding and delays in completing the VA's regular appropriation threaten to erode the availability of health care to our nation's veterans. They continue to urge Congress to find a long-term solution to a funding crisis that continues to plague the VA, a solution that delivers funds on time to allow for long-term planning.


As for 2008, The Independent Budget recommends nearly $44.3 billion in discretionary spending for the VA, with $36.8 billion of that for veterans health care and medical administration.


The Independent Budget provides the nation's decision-makers a veterans' perspective on federal spending and national policy priorities for veterans programs. These recommendations are well-considered policy and funding proposals based on the actual needs of the men and women these programs were created to serve. As a comprehensive, authoritative policy
document, The Independent Budget focuses on funding recommendations for veterans' health care, benefits delivery, medical facilities construction, veterans' cemeteries and other so-called discretionary programs that will be needed in the coming fiscal year. Congress is required by law to provide sufficient funds for compensation and pension payments and other mandatory
spending, so The Independent Budget does not make specific recommendations for those programs.


AMVETS -- a leader since 1944 in preserving the freedoms secured by America's Armed Forces -- provides not only support for veterans and the active military in procuring receipt of their earned entitlements, but also community services that enhance the quality of life for this nation's citizens. (http://www.amvets.org)


The 1.3 million-member Disabled American Veterans, a nonprofit
organization founded in 1920 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1932, is dedicated to a single purpose: building better lives for our nation's disabled veterans and their families. (http://www.dav.org)


The Paralyzed Veterans of America, a veterans service organization chartered by Congress, has for more than 60 years served the needs of its members, all of whom have catastrophic paralysis caused by spinal cord injury or disease. (http://www.pva.org)


The VFW is a 1.8 million-member veterans' service organization, now in its 108th year, with a nationwide network of 8,500 Posts and service officers working to build better communities and assist all veterans and their dependents with problems involving VA entitlements and pensions.
(http://www.vfw.org)


SOURCE Disabled American Veterans


------END------


_________________________________________


After many, many years of inaction, underfunding and deceptive practices by the 'former party' in charge of Congress AND the Whitehouse it looks as though we're FINALLY going to get something OTHER than just lies, and more lies like those 'previous' GOP misfits have been putting out for more than ten years now!

Like I said before------------------HALLELUJAH !....

[39mto39g]

Gimp
A little shorter, please.

[Gimpy]

Ron, just for you!-------


DEMS in charge of Congress one (1) month---VA BUDGET FUNDED !

REPUBS in charge for TWELVE (12) YEARS---VA BUDGET NOT FUNDED !

[Raggedy Ann]

Gimpy
This is the first time I understood what you said.

Raggedy Ann

[39mto39g]

ME TOO

[Bill Farnie]

Hey .. it could have been worse .. Gimp could have wrote the post in that crazy southern jargon

[exlrrp]

Gimpy
I was wondering if that was going to get noticed here for all that people do love just posting criticism about the other side.

Raised the minimum wage too, the first time in 8 years. Amazing, isn't it , how the Tom Delay-Republican controlled Congress gave themselves five--count em--FIVE-- pay raises during the same time. Delay called these "adjustments" Its easy to see why the cost and size of government goes up so hugely with Republicans in power. And even G Bush himself mentioned the huge wage disparity gap, almost as if he had nothing to do with it.

maybe now more money will flow to the veterans who fight the war rather than the people who profit from it.

And did you see the report on Iraq reconstruction millions missing? Heckuvajob Brownie must have been in charge of that. Just more inept Republican mismanagement. Katrina was a disaster too, in more ways than one.

The Democrats "pulled a Republican" and just gave the Repubs the bill an hour before the vote---who cares if they read it or not? Vote now or drop dead. Welcome to the last 6 years! And the next generation! But not too quick for ol "Bridge to Nowhere" Stevens to get a few earmarks on it.
Stay good
James

Ps--see how much better it goes when you edit the post to the audience? Keep it simple, smart guy.

[Gimpy]

James.-----------You're right my friend!

Things are definately looking brighter now that the folks who REALLY care about us are in charge!

Just read another press release from the Senate Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid where he is introducing a bill this week or early next week to institute FULL CONCURRENT RECEIPT instead of that damn TEN (10) YEAR 'phase in' crap that the repubs so relunctantly began a couple of years ago.

Wonder what the folks from the 'other' side of the aisle will think about THAT?

It just gets better and better!

[Packo]

I am pleased and impressed! Thanks for the long version Gimpy, found it interesting reading. How do we find out who voted against it. I really want to know who the 140 were and if any were from my state. It would be good for us to all contact any of the 140 that were from your/mine state and ask WHY????

What a great moment!

Pack

[Gimpy]

best I could get as yet Packo my dear southern brother.

The Congressional web site that records roll call votes in the initial results does not post the state unless there are representatives with exact or similar names in order to avoid confusion. The DAV should have the state by state roll call results on their web site shortly. When they do I'll post them.

I was able to determine which republicans voted FOR the bill along with the democrats and it shows beside their names. Also, there were two democrats (damn traitors) that voted NO along with the 138 republicans, and I have indicated them as well.

Here you go------------------


---- AYES 286 ---

Abercrombie
Ackerman
Allen
Altmire
Andrews
Arcuri
Baca
Baird
Baker (R)
Baldwin
Barrow
Bartlett (R-MD)
Bean
Becerra
Berkley
Berman
Berry
Biggert (R)
Bilirakis (R)
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Blumenauer
Bono (R)
Boren
Boswell
Boucher
Boustany (R)
Boyd (FL)
Boyda (KS)
Brady (PA)
Braley (IA)
Brown (R-SC)
Brown, Corrine
Brown-Waite, Ginny (R)
Buchanan (R)
Butterfield
Capito (R)
Capps
Capuano
Cardoza
Carnahan
Carney
Carson
Castle (R)
Castor
Chandler
Clarke
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Conyers
Cooper
Costa
Costello
Courtney
Cramer
Crowley
Cuellar
Cummings
Davis (AL)
Davis (CA)
Davis (IL)
Davis, Lincoln
Davis, Tom (R)
DeFazio
DeGette
Delahunt
DeLauro
Dent (R)
Dicks
Dingell
Doggett
Donnelly
Doolittle (R)
Doyle
Drake (R)
Edwards
Ellison
Ellsworth
Emanuel
Emerson (R)
Engel
English (R-PA)
Eshoo
Etheridge
Farr
Fattah
Ferguson (R)
Filner
Fossella (R)
Frank (MA)
Gerlach (R)
Giffords
Gillibrand
Gonzalez
Goode (R)
Gordon
Graves (R)
Green, Al
Green, Gene
Grijalva
Gutierrez
Hall (NY)
Hare
Harman
Hastings (FL)
Hastings (R-WA)
Herseth
Hill
Hinchey
Hinojosa
Hirono
Hodes
Holden
Holt
Honda
Hooley
Hoyer
Inslee
Israel
Jackson (IL)
Jackson-Lee (TX)
Jefferson
Jindal (R)
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (R-IL)
Johnson, E. B.
Johnson, Sam (R)
Jones (R-NC)
Jones (OH)
Kagen
Kaptur
Keller (R)
Kennedy
Kildee
Kilpatrick
Kind
King (R-NY)
Kirk (R)
Klein (FL)
Kuhl (R-NY)
Lampson
Langevin
Lantos
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Latham (R)
Lee
Levin
Lewis (GA)
Lipinski
LoBiondo (R)
Loebsack
Lofgren, Zoe
Lowey
Lynch
Mahoney (FL)
Maloney (NY)
Manzullo (R)
Markey
Marshall
Matheson
Matsui
McCarthy (NY)
McCollum (MN)
McCotter (R)
McGovern
McHugh (R)
McIntyre
McMorris Rodgers (R)
McNerney
McNulty
Meehan
Meek (FL)
Meeks (NY)
Melancon
Michaud
Millender-McDonald
Miller (R-MI)
Miller (NC)
Miller, George
Mitchell
Mollohan
Moore (KS)
Moore (WI)
Moran (VA)
Murphy (CT)
Murphy, Patrick
Murphy, Tim (R)
Murtha
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal (MA)
Oberstar
Obey
Olver
Ortiz
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor
Payne
Pelosi
Perlmutter
Peterson (MN)
Petri (R)
Platts (R)
Pomeroy
Porter (R)
Price (NC)
Pryce (R-OH)
Rahall
Ramstad (R)
Rangel
Reichert (R)
Renzi (R)
Reyes
Reynolds (R)
Rodriguez
Rogers (R-MI)
Ross
Rothman
Roybal-Allard
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan (OH)
Salazar
S?nchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Sarbanes
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schmidt (R)
Schwartz
Scott (GA)
Scott (VA)
Serrano
Sestak
Shays (R)
Shea-Porter
Sherman
Shuler
Shuster (R)
Simpson (R)
Sires
Skelton
Slaughter
Smith (R-NJ)
Smith (WA)
Snyder
Solis
Space
Spratt
Stark
Stupak
Sutton
Tanner
Tauscher
Taylor
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Tierney
Towns
Udall (CO)
Udall (NM)
Upton (R)
Van Hollen
Vel?zquez
Visclosky
Walsh (R-NY)
Walz (MN)
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson
Watt
Waxman
Weiner
Welch (VT)
Weller (R)
Wexler
Wilson (R-NM)
Wilson (OH)
Woolsey
Wu
Wynn
Yarmuth




---- NOES 140 --- (138 Republicans---2 Democrats)

Aderholt
Akin
Bachmann
Bachus
Barrett (SC)
Barton (TX)
Bilbray
Bishop (UT)
Blackburn
Blunt
Boehner
Bonner
Boozman
Brady (TX)
Burgess
Burton (IN)
Calvert
Camp (MI)
Campbell (CA)
Cannon
Cantor
Carter
Chabot
Coble
Cole (OK)
Conaway
Crenshaw
Cubin
Culberson
Davis (KY)
Davis, David
Deal (GA)
Diaz-Balart, L.
Diaz-Balart, M.
Dreier
Duncan
Ehlers
Everett
Fallin
Feeney
Flake
Forbes
Fortenberry
Foxx
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Gallegly
Garrett (NJ)
Gillmor
Gingrey
Gohmert
Goodlatte
Granger
Hall (TX)
Hayes
Heller
Hensarling
Herger
Hobson
Hoekstra
Hulshof
Hunter
Inglis (SC)
Issa
Jordan
Kanjorski (Dem)
King (IA)
Kingston
Kline (MN)
Knollenberg
Kucinich (Dem)
LaHood
Lamborn
LaTourette
Lewis (CA)
Lewis (KY)
Linder
Lucas
Lungren, Daniel E.
Mack
Marchant
McCarthy (CA)
McCaul (TX)
McCrery
McHenry
McKeon
Mica
Miller (FL)
Miller, Gary
Moran (KS)
Musgrave
Myrick
Neugebauer
Nunes
Pearce
Pence
Peterson (PA)
Pickering
Pitts
Poe
Price (GA)
Putnam
Radanovich
Regula
Rehberg
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rohrabacher
Ros-Lehtinen
Roskam
Royce
Ryan (WI)
Sali
Saxton
Sensenbrenner
Sessions
Shadegg
Shimkus
Smith (NE)
Smith (TX)
Souder
Stearns
Sullivan
Tancredo
Terry
Thornberry
Tiahrt
Tiberi
Turner
Walberg
Walden (OR)
Wamp
Weldon (FL)
Westmoreland
Whitfield
Wicker
Wilson (SC)
Wolf
Young (AK)
Young (FL)


---- NOT VOTING 9 ---

Alexander (R)
Buyer (R)
Davis, Jo Ann (R)
Gilchrest (R)
Hastert (R)
Higgins (D)
McDermott (D)
Norwood (R)
Paul (R)