Congressman John D. Dingell

March 17, 2008

Dearborn, MI - During a lunch with U.S. Military Veterans today, Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI15) said President Bush’s latest efforts to increase veterans’ health care fees would be rejected by Congress. Speaking to a group of veterans at the John D. Dingell Veterans’ Medical Center in Detroit, the Congressman added that he was disappointed to see the President’s proposals to cut to Veterans’ Administration (VA) medical research and hospital construction this year and cut medical care starting in October 2009.

“This is the sixth year in a row the President has requested that Veterans be asked to pay increased fees for health care services and you can be assured this is sixth year in a row Congress will reject this nonsense on a bipartisan basis,” Dingell told the veterans. “The President’s budget is just an opening shot in a budget process.  He gives us his suggestions, but it is up to the Congress to craft a good budget that ensures the nation’s priorities are balanced and fiscally sound.”

Dingell said he was pleased to have been a part of the historic increase in the VA budget for fiscal year 2008.  Congress provided the VA $43.1 billion, which was a $3.7 billion increase over President Bush’s request and an increase of $6.6 billion above the 2007 level—making it the largest single increase in the 77-year history of the VA.   

Since taking control of Congress in January 2007, Democrats have increased VA spending by $11.8.  This funding will go towards improvements for the VA health care system, including more qualified doctors and nurses for our nearly 6 million veterans, 3,100 new caseworkers to speed up processing of benefits claims, and a focus on research and treatment for post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury – major mental health issues for our returning soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan.