VA advance funding bill clears Congress

VA advance funding bill clears Congress

By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Oct 14, 2009 10:36:35 EDT

Historic legislation aimed at preventing Congress’ inability to get its work done on time from hurting veterans’ medical care is on its way to the White House for President Barack Obama’s expected signature after clearing Congress on Tuesday night.

Passage of the bill by the Senate came on the 13th day of the new fiscal year, in which lawmakers have made a case for financial safeguards by passing only one of the 13 separate appropriations measures needed to keep the federal government running. The only appropriations bill approved so far is the one that provides funding for Congress itself.

Delays in passing the Veterans Affairs Department budget are nothing new; this is the 20th time in the last 23 years that the VA budget has not been approved by the start of the fiscal year. Failure to act on time, which can be disruptive to medical budgets, led every major veterans organization to make the advance funding bill their top legislative priority for the year.
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/military_VA_advancefunding_101409w/