FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, February 9, 2016
Contact: Amanda Maddox, 202-224-7777
Lauren Gaydos, 202-224-9126
Isakson Statement on Proposed VA Budget
‘The solution to fixing a broken agency is not simply giving it more money’
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, today released the
following statement regarding the president’s proposed fiscal year 2017 budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA):
“The
president’s budget request for the VA includes funding for a number of
critical programs, such as improving the appeals and benefits processes,
reducing veteran homelessness, improving information
technology and helping veterans receive care outside of the VA.
However, this budget request is almost double the VA budget in 2009, and
since then, the VA has been plagued by scandals and mismanagement and
has consistently proven its inability to use its
existing resources.
“The
solution to fixing a broken agency is not simply giving it more money.
As chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, I am committed
to working with the VA to develop a more realistic
budget that meets the needs of our nation’s veterans and funds
important initiatives without wasting taxpayer money.”
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The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs is chaired by U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., in the 114th Congress.
Isakson
is a veteran himself – having served in the Georgia Air National Guard
from 1966-1972 – and has been a member of the Senate VA Committee since
he joined the Senate in 2005. Isakson’s home
state of Georgia is home to more than a dozen military installations
representing each branch of the military as well as more than 750,000
veterans.
