VFW Washington Weekly - February 27, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009 at 08:29 AM
by dist2
1. FY2010 VA Budget Released2. GI Bill Hearing
3. FY2010 Defense Budget Released
4. HASC Hearing on Military Personnel
5. Dover Media Ban Lifted
1. FY2010 VA Budget Released: President Obama released a fiscal year 2010 budget outline Thursday for the Department of Veterans Affairs that contains a sizeable increase in veterans discretionary funding to a total of $55.9 billion, which is about $5.5 billion more than the current funding level. The president's proposal is in line with what the VFW is calling for in the Independent Budget. The budget proposal includes additional funding to allow more veterans to enroll in the VA system, and targets access issues, especially for rural veterans. It would also expand concurrent receipt of disability compensation and retirement pay for highly disabled veterans who are medically retired from the service. The VFW does have one note of concern that is being tracked down, and that's to determine if the budget anticipates charging a service-connected disabled veteran's private health insurance for service-connected disability care. If true, the VFW will fight this proposal vigorously. More information will be relayed as full budget details become available.
For more on the VFW co-written Independent Budget, go to: www.independentbudget.org.
To view the FY10 budget proposal for the VA, go to: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/fy2010_new_era/Department_of_Veterans_Affairs.pdf.
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