IL Senator Dick Durbin on Veterans Affairs

[Boats]

December 17, 2015

Mr. Wayne E. Lovison
22301 Brookwood Drive
Sauk Village, IL 60411-5807

Dear Mr. Lovison:

Thank you for contacting me about the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 (H.R. 2029). I appreciate hearing from you.

This bill, introduced by Representative Charles Dent of Pennsylvania, would provide funds to the Department of Defense (DOD) for military construction, military family housing, the U.S. share of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Security Investment Program, and base closures and realignments. It also would provide money to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for veterans benefit and health care programs, department administration, and the National Cemetery Administration.

The recent bipartisan budget deal allowed the Senate to provide an additional $2 billion in this bill for veterans' health. I included an amendment in this bill that would increase funding for medical and prosthetic research at the VA. The bill also contains funding to address the backlog of disability claims at the VA and protections for VA personnel who have experienced whistleblower retaliation, among other measures.

I am pleased that this bill would bring positive changes to Illinois by providing $20 million for the Rock Island Arsenal to construct 38 single family housing units that can allow service members relocating to the Arsenal to have adequate and affordable housing. It also would provide $1.9 million for a new firing range for the Illinois National Guard, which currently lacks a facility for this type of small arms training in south central Illinois.

Veterans and their families need the best care possible after sacrificing so much. The United States should provide past and present service members with the support they have earned. This legislation includes increases for both the DOD and the VA and increases overall FY 2016 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill funding above FY 2015 levels.

This bill passed the Senate on November 10, 2015. Because a different version of this bill passed in the House of Representatives, members from both chambers will need to reconcile the differences before it can go to the President for a signature. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue to make sure our nation's military has the resources it needs and that we meet our commitments to our veterans.

Thank you again for contacting me. Please feel free to keep in touch.


Sincerely,

IL Senator - Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator

RJD/jg

[Boats]

As you can see by the thread above - this bill is hung up again for review which means they want to strip the dollars or delete some of the issues of which are badly needed.