Historic Legislation to End Delays in Veterans Health Ca...( New National Poll Shows Large Maj...),Health

New National Poll Shows Large Majority Supports Funding Reform

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Nine of the nation's largest veterans service organizations, representing a combined 8 million members, today praised Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-Calif.), and a group of bipartisan cosponsors for introducing legislation to reform the budget process to assure sufficient, timely and predictable funding for veterans' health care programs.

The Partnership for Veterans Health Care Budget Reform (http://www.fundingforvets.org), which worked closely with the bill sponsors in drafting the legislation, is comprised of AMVETS, Blinded Veterans Association (BVA), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Jewish War Veterans (JWV), Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH), Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), and Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA).

"For almost two decades, veterans health care funding has either been insufficient or late, and usually it is both," said PVA President Randy Pleva, speaking on behalf of the Partnership. "While funding bills have increased in recent years, especially the last two years, they are still consistently late. We must reform the funding system if we are to assure comprehensive and timely health care services for current and future generations of veterans," he said.

American Legion National Commander David K. Rehbein, also speaking for the Partnership, praised the bill's bipartisan cosponsors, Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Russ Feingold (D-WI), and Mary Landrieu (D-LA), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Congressmen Walter Jones (R-NC), Michael Michaud (D-ME), and Phil Hare (D-IL). "We applaud all of the bill's sponsors who have taken the lead in Congress to create a lasting legacy for our veterans by re
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