YOUR VFW WASHINGTON OFFICE

On Wednesday, VFW testified before the House VA Committee as part of an Independent Budget (IB) panel on the FY 2013 VA budget. The IB, now in its 26th year, captures the full picture of what VA needs to care for veterans. VFW is responsible for the construction portion of the IB, and our testimony centered on major and minor construction project funding. We voiced our concerns about the woefully underfunded construction accounts, noting that Congress projected some $2.8 billion for projects, while the Administration this year only asked for $725 million, which is well over $2 billion short of what is needed. Safety and accessibility are concerns when construction accounts remain unfunded or underfunded for years. VFW asked Congress to increase funding so VA can complete numerous projects under way, as well as those being planned. To read VFW testimony, go to http://www.vfw.org/VFW-in-DC/Congressional-Testimony/. To learn more about the hearing and to view a recorded webcast, visit http://www.vfwonthehill.org/2012/02/watch-live-vfw-shinseki-to-testify-on.html. Read the Independent Budget at http://www.independentbudget.org/.