April 30, 2014

Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Democrat Mike Michaud Applauds Passage of VA Funding Bill

Washington, D.C.  – This evening, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4486, a bill that provides funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs for the coming fiscal year that begins on October 1, and provides advance funding for VA medical care programs for the following year. H.R. 4486 provides nearly $160 billion for veterans’ benefits and services.

Representative Mike Michaud (D-ME), Ranking Member on the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, released the following statement after passage:

“This appropriations bill ensures the VA can provide our nation’s veterans with the highest quality of health care and provides funding requested by the administration to reduce the claims backlog, a goal the VA set to accomplish next year. The bill also includes important provisions that will assist us in our oversight efforts to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and veterans are receiving the benefits they have earned.  This bill highlights the importance of veterans’ issues, and is a great example of what we can do when we put party differences aside and work together to achieve real pragmatic goals.”

H.R. 4486 also provides advance funding for VA medical care programs for FY 2016.  “Providing advance funding is vitally important, as we saw last year during the government shut-down,” added Michaud. “This bill ensures that the VA medical care budget is already in place and ready to help veterans not matter what the future holds.”