Cold War Veterans Blog

President's 2010 Budget Request Strongly Supports VA Programs


Funding Plan Improves Access, Modernizes Technology

WASHINGTON (Feb. 26, 2009) - President Obama's first proposed budget forthe Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) expands eligibility for healthcare to an additional 500,000 deserving Veterans over the next fiveyears, meets the need for continued growth in programs for the combatVeterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, and provides the resources to deliverquality health care for the Nation's 5.5 million Veteran patients.The 2010 budget request is a significant step toward realizing a visionshared by the President and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K.Shinseki to transform VA into an organization that is people-centric,results-driven and forward-looking."Our success must encompass cost-effectiveness," Shinseki said. "We arestewards of taxpayer dollars, and we will include appropriate metrics to accurately gauge the quality of our care and the effectiveness of our management processes."If accepted by Congress, the President's budget proposal would increaseVA's budget from $97.7 billion this fiscal year to $112.8 billion forthe fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2009.  This is in addition to the $1.4billion provided for VA projects in the American Recovery andReinvestment Act of 2009.The 2010 budget represents the first step toward increasingdiscretionary funding for VA efforts by $25 billion over the next fiveyears.

 The gradual expansion in health care enrollment that this wouldsupport will open hospital and clinic doors to more than 500,000Veterans by 2013 who have been regrettably excluded from VA medical carebenefits since 2003.

 The 2010 budget request provides the resources toachieve this level of service while maintaining high quality and timelycare for lower-income and service-disabled Veterans who currently rely