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Obama signs advance VA funding into law

Veterans advocacy groups saw several years of work come to fruition Thursday when President Barack Obama signed into law a bill that provides funding for the Veterans Affairs Department one year in advance.

The Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act aims to protect veterans medical programs from interruptions in funding when Congress is late passing a budget bill — as it has been for 20 of the last 23 years.

“Today is a victory for all the veterans organizations ... who fought for years for reform,” Obama said as he signed the bill.

He said the new law is “commonsense reform” that “promotes accountability at the VA.”

“It ensures oversight by Congress,” he said. “It is fiscally responsible by not adding a dime to the deficit. And it ensures that veterans’ health care will no longer be held hostage to the annual budget battles in Washington.”

Advance funding for medical services, facilities and research programs takes effect with the fiscal 2011 budget, assuming Congress provides promised money in the 2010 budget that also covers those programs for 2011.

Veterans groups hailed the new law.

“A budget known a full year in advance will enable [VA] to plan for the hiring of critical medical and research staff, as well as forecast equipment and facility upgrades throughout their entire nationwide network,” said Thomas Tradewell, national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said the new law would “put an end to the rationing of care for our country’s veterans.”

“With this legislation, politics can no longer stand in the way of VA funding, and VA Secretary [Eric] Shinseki is more effectively set up for success,” Rieckhoff said, adding that Congress’ most recent failure to pass a budget on time “further illustrates the need for advanced appropriations. ... Veterans deserve better than late budgets and month-to-month planning.”

To ensure enough money is provided in advance, Congress approved a mechanism for the advance budget requiring VA to produce an estimate that will be reviewed for accuracy by the Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan arm of Congress. A copy of the review will be made available to the public, which is why the word “transparency” is included in the law’s name.