[Gimpy]

Looks like all our hell raising has done some good for the time being. We'll have to wait and see for sure what happens when the budget bill goes to concurrent committee to be comprimised between the House & Senate. If Congressman Nussle keeps his "promise" we might be OK. Thanks to all that contacted the congresspersons. NOW --- PLEASE contact your Senators to MAKE SURE the pass this important legislation.

GIMP
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M E M O R A N D U M

TO: Action E-List

FROM: Joseph A. Violante, National Legislative Director

SUBJ: UPDATE ON THE BUDGET BATTLE?THE BATTLE WAS WON?THE WAR RAGES ON

DATE: March 21, 2003

On March 21, 2003, the United States House of Representatives passed its budget resolution without cuts in veterans' medical care and mandatory programs. While Republican "holdouts," Chairman Chris Smith (R-NJ), Representatives Michael Bilirakis (R-FL), Rick Renzi (R-AZ), Rob Simmons (R-CT), Walter Jones (R-NC), Charles Pickering (R-MS), extracted an 11th-hour promise from the House Leadership not to cut veterans? mandatory programs such as disability compensation, and to recede to the Senate?s higher spending levels for veterans' health care programs. Although it was too late to change the language in the House Budget Resolution, H. Con. Res. 95, the Budget Committee Chairman, Jim Nussle (R-IA), provided a written promise to match the Senate's higher spending levels when the House and Senate go to conference on the budget resolution.

While this is a major victory for veterans, we must continue to keep pressure on the Senate to ensure that they pass a budget that includes increased funding for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care and eliminates proposals to increase copayments for prescriptions and outpatient visits for certain veterans and charge other veterans enrollment fees. As you know, the budget resolution passed by Congress is non-binding and only provides a blueprint for spending levels. Therefore, it is also important that we contact appropriators and ask them to provide increased levels of spending for VA medical care programs above the Administration's proposed budget.

Had it not been for the efforts of DAV members, their families, and other supporters, we would not have been able to get the agreement of the House Leadership to exempt veterans from the drastic cuts proposed in the House Budget Resolution. Thanks to your efforts, Democrats such as House Budget Committee Ranking Member John Spratt (D-SC), and Committee Member Chet Edwards (D-TX) and others were able to take our case to the floor of the House during the budget debate.

I am attaching a copy of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee News Release on the budget, and the text of the letter from Chairman Nussle to Chairman Smith promising to agree to the higher Senate provisions in conference.

Again, thank you for your extraordinary efforts in letting your elected officials know how outraged you were with the proposal to cut veterans' discretionary and mandatory programs.


JOSEPH A. VIOLANTE
National Legislative Director

__________________________________________________ _______________

NEWS RELEASE
House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
Christopher H. Smith, Chairman
335 CHOB, Washington D.C. 20515

IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, March 19, 2003

Vets Get Big Boost In Late-Night Budget Deal

(Washington, DC) - In the final negotiations before passage of the House Republican budget, America's veterans won significant funding increases for FY 2004.

Rep. Chris Smith, Chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee credited Budget Chairman Jim Nussle with working through the 11th hour to ensure that veterans health care programs would be increased and funding for veterans benefits, including compensation for service-connected disabled veterans, would be held harmless from any across-the-board spending reductions.

"After further discussions with Chairman Nussle and the leadership, I am pleased that we have reached agreement so that this year's budget will raise funding for veterans' health care by at least $1.8 billion over the Administration's request for FY 04," Smith said.

"Furthermore, it will allow us to fully meet our commitments to more than 2.6 million disabled veterans and widows who rely on VA benefit checks every month. There will be no cut in veterans' benefits as first proposed," Smith said.

Smith said the final agreement came in a letter from Chairman Nussle who gave his word to meet at a minimum the spending levels already adopted by the Senate Budget Committee once House and Senate budget negotiators meet in conference. The Senate budget provides a 12.9% increase over this year's funding level for veterans' health benefits?the highest spending ever in this area.

Nussle's letter read in part: "In the Conference with the Senate, I will accept a level of discretionary and mandatory spending for veterans programs as high as reported by the Senate Budget Committee."

MEDIA INQUIRIES, CONTACT: Peter Dickinson, (202) 225-3664

Peter Dickinson
Communications Director
House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
(202) 225-3664

__________________________________________________ _____________


March 20, 2003

The Honorable Chris Smith, Chairman
Veterans? Affairs Committee
United States House of Representatives

Dear Chairman Smith:

You have expressed your deep concern about the amount available for veterans discretionary spending, which includes health care, and for mandatory spending, which includes compensation for service-connected disabled veterans. In the Conference with the Senate, I will accept a level of discretionary and mandatory spending for veterans programs at least as high as reported by the Senate Budget Committee. It is my hope that we will continue to work to find any savings possible from eliminating waste or fraud as we work to balance the budget.

I look forward to continuing to working with you on behalf of veterans and a stronger America.


Sincerely,
Jim Nussle
Chairman
House Budget Committee