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MANDATORY FUNDING FOR VA HEALTHCARE BACK IN THE
SPOTLIGHT -- H.R. 2514 needs our support right
now. Take
action and contact your elected
representatives.
Story below:
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Mandatory funding for VA healthcare is back on
the agenda on Capitol Hill.
Rep. Phil Hare (D-IL), Member of the House
Committee on Veterans' Affairs, along with 86 co-sponsors, introduced
H.R. 2514 earlier this year...the Assured Funding for Veterans Health
Care Act.
Now, it's time for us to get to work.
We must bombard our elected representatives,
telling them that this legislation must pass.
There is an easy way to do this, and it comes
to use from the DAV.
Go to this page...read it...and fill out the
forms...it's just that easy...
http://capwiz.com/dav/issues/
alert/?alertid=10250606
The Committee will be holding a hearing on
Wednesday, October 3, about this issue...Funding the VA of the Future.
Now is the perfect time to be heard.
For more on mandatory funding for VA
healthcare, use the VA Watchdog search engine...click here...
http://www.yourvabenefits.org/
sessearch.php?q=mandato
ry+funding&op=ph
To view H.R. 2514, go to Thomas and enter bill
number...here...
http://thomas.loc.gov/
Bill printed below:
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Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act
(Introduced in House)
HR 2514 IH
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2514
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an assured
adequate level of funding for veterans health care.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 24, 2007
Mr. HARE (for himself, Mr. FILNER, Ms. KILPATRICK, Mr. LARSON of
Connecticut, Mr. COURTNEY, Mr. KLEIN of Florida, Mr. BRADY of
Pennsylvania, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. DOYLE, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr. REYES, Mr. UDALL
of New Mexico, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Ms. MCCOLLUM of
Minnesota, Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Ms. SHEA-PORTER,
Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. ELLISON, Ms. BERKLEY, Mr. HOLDEN, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of
Florida, Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN, Mr. COHEN, Mr. KAGEN, Ms. HOOLEY, Mr.
MCINTYRE, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. TIERNEY, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. KUCINICH,
Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. STUPAK, Ms. CARSON, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. WEXLER, Mr. NEAL
of Massachusetts, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. BACA, Mr. MCGOVERN,
Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Ms. CLARKE, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr.
DOGGETT, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. NADLER, Mr. YARMUTH, Mr. POMEROY, Mr. SCOTT of
Virginia, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. TIM MURPHY of Pennsylvania, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr.
WELCH of Vermont, Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California, Mr. HIGGINS, Ms.
EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. STARK, Mr. BRALEY of
Iowa, Mr. ALTMIRE, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Mr. MURPHY of Connecticut,
Mr. LOEBSACK, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. CARNEY, Mr. HALL of New York, Mrs.
BOYDA of Kansas, Mr. SPACE, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, and Mr. SARBANES) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an assured
adequate level of funding for veterans health care.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care
Act'.
SEC. 2. ASSURANCE OF ADEQUATE FUNDING FOR VETERANS HEALTH CARE.
(a) In General- Chapter 3 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by
adding at the end the following new section:
`Sec. 321. Assured funding for veterans health care
`(a) For each fiscal year, the Secretary of the Treasury shall make
available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs the amount determined
under subsection (b) with respect to that fiscal year. Each such amount
is available, without fiscal year limitation, for the programs,
functions, and activities of the Veterans Health Administration, as
specified in subsection (c).
`(b)(1) The amount applicable to fiscal year 2008 under this subsection
is the amount equal to 130 percent of the amount obligated by the
Department during fiscal year 2006 for the purposes specified in
subsection (c).
`(2) The amount applicable to any fiscal year after fiscal year 2008
under this subsection is the amount equal to the product of the
following:
`(A) The sum of--
`(i) the number of veterans enrolled in the Department health care
system under section 1705 of this title as of July 1 preceding the
beginning of such fiscal year; and
`(ii) the number of persons eligible for health care under chapter 17 of
this title who are not covered by clause (i) and who were provided
hospital care or medical services under such chapter at any time during
the fiscal year preceding such fiscal year.
`(B) The per capita baseline amount, as increased from time to time
pursuant to paragraph (3)(B).
`(3)(A) For purposes of paragraph (2)(B), the term `per capita baseline
amount' means the amount equal to--
`(i) the amount specified in paragraph (1), divided by
`(ii) the number of veterans enrolled in the Department health care
system under section 1705 of this title as of September 30, 2006.
`(B) With respect to any fiscal year, the Secretary shall provide a
percentage increase (rounded to the nearest dollar) in the per capita
baseline amount equal to the percentage by which--
`(i) the Consumer Price Index (all Urban Consumers, United States City
Average, Hospital and related services, Seasonally Adjusted), published
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor for the
12-month period ending on the June 30 preceding the beginning of the
fiscal year for which the increase is made, exceeds
`(ii) such Consumer Price Index for the 12-month period preceeding the
12-month period described in clause (i).
`(c)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the purposes for which
amounts made available pursuant to subsection (a) shall be all programs,
functions, and activities of the Veterans Health Administration.
`(2) Amounts made available pursuant to subsection (a) are not available
for--
`(A) construction, acquisition, or alteration of medical facilities as
provided in subchapter I of chapter 81 of this title (other than for
such repairs as were provided for before the the date of the enactment
of this section through the Medical Care appropriation for the
Department); or
`(B) grants under subchapter III of chapter 81 of this title.'.
(b) Clerical Amendment- The table of sections at the beginning of such
chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item:
`321. Assured funding for veterans health care.'.
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Larry Scott --
