Bill represents a nine percent increase over Fiscal year 2006

WASHINGTON – Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, today announced that the full Senate has passed the Fiscal Year 2007 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. The legislation appropriates funds for Fiscal Year 2007 for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

“Our veterans have served with great honor and enormous sacrifice and we have an obligation to meet their needs,’’ Sen. Hutchison said. “The increased funding levels in this bill reflect our commitment to America’s veterans.  The new Medical Services account will allow the VA to offer better care and lower costs.”

The legislation will provide more than $77.9 billion to fund the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, a nine percent increase above the Fiscal Year 2006 enacted level. It includes $41.4 billion for mandatory veterans’ benefits which is 11.3 percent above the Fiscal Year 2006 enacted level. The subcommittee included $36.4 billion in discretionary spending, more than $2.24 billion above Fiscal Year 2006. This amount includes $28.7 billion for medical services, $3.6 billion for medical facilities, $399 million for major construction and $412 million for medical and prosthetic research.

            Language approved in the bill merges the Medical Services and Medical Administration under one Medical Services account.  This consolidation will give the VA greater flexibility to manage all medical services operations under one account.

The bill requires a progress report on the Mental Health Centers of Excellence, one of which is the Waco, Texas VA Medical Center.  It also provides $15 million for the Gulf War Illness Research Center of Excellence, the second in a series of five installments.