VA Unveils FY2011 Budget Proposal

This afternoon VA unveiled its budget proposal for the FY2011 VA budget, including advance appropriations for veterans' health care in FY2012. AMVETS leaders were on hand, as VA officials gave a comprehensive breakdown of the budget proposal to the nation's top veterans' organizations.

VA Secretary Eric Shinseki and Deputy Secretary Scott Gould explained VA's vision behind the new budget proposal and deputy secretaries from each VA administration were on hand to field questions. In his opening remarks, Shinseki said the FY2011 budget would focus on three areas: improved access to benefits, faster disability claims decisions and putting an end to veterans' homelessness.

VA's total budget proposal calls on Congress to approve $125 billion for VA in FY2011 and an additional $54.3 billion in advance appropriations for VA health care in FY2012. VA officials noted that the proposed figure would represent a 20 percent increase in the total VA budget over the last two years.

The proposed budget provided for increases in funding to meet some of the most significant needs, as identified by AMVETS members for the 2010 Legislative Agenda, including the claims backlog, female veterans' health care, rural and remote veterans' health care, education and mental health.

One of the most significant new investments comes in the form of more than $800 million dedicated to transitional housing programs to assist homeless veterans, as part of the Secretary's five-year plan to end homelessness.

However, with new presumptions for Agent Orange-related conditions, VA is actually expecting the processing time for claims to increase in the short term, before a series of remedies help to alleviate the strains on the current system. While the average wait time in 2009 stood at 161 days, veterans may be waiting up to 190 days in FY2011 due to the influx of Agent Orange claims and continued new claims from Iraq and Afghanistan.

VA's Acting Under Secretary for Benefits Michael Walcoff assured the assembled veterans' groups that the VA's goal was the bring the total processing time down to fewer than 125 days over the next two years, with the addition of more than 4,000 full time employees handling claims and additional resources dedicated to the Veterans Benefits Management System, or VBMS, which would provide a comprehensive IT solution to the current analog claims process.

AMVETS and the Independent Budget partners will unveil their budget proposal to Congress on Thursday. Check back tomorrow for further reaction to VA's announcement and more details about Thursday's hearing on the FY2011 VA budget.

(Image: Cover to the VA's FY2011 budget proposal. Hyperlink to VA's Web page with details on the proposal.)

Executive Order Authorizes Expanded Initiative for Veterans' Federal Employment

The night before Veterans Day, President Obama signed an executive order authorizing an expanded program for veterans seeking federal employment. Leaders from the departments of Labor, Veterans Affairs, Defense and Homeland Security explained the new Federal Government Veterans Employment Initiative and how departments across the federal government will work to ensure more veterans are hired for civil service jobs.

AMVETS and the nation's other leading veterans' service organizations were on hand to hear details on the new program after calling for improved outreach efforts to unemployed and transitioning veterans in the wake of staggering unemployment figures among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

Deputy Veterans Affairs Secretary Scott Gould explained that veterans already possess many of the skills that civil service employees need to succeed.

The new federal government initiative will expand beyond the traditional five and 10 point advantages in resume consideration to help match veterans' skill sets with civil service positions.

The Office of Personnel Management will use current veterans' employment figures across the federal government as a baseline from which to measure success, and OPM Director John Berry assured the assembled veterans' advocates and media that the program will succeed, considering the level of accountability and commitment directly from the White House.

(Photo: Deputy Veterans Affairs Secretary Scott Gould explains VA's role in the Federal Government Veterans Employment Initiative. Photo by Ryan Gallucci.)

Tammy Duckworth, Scott Gould Hearing Update

WATCH VIDEO HERE!

AMVETS Civil Servant of the Year Tammy Duckworth testified before the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs this morning as part of the confirmation process for Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs.

W. Scott Gould also testified this morning, as he seeks confirmation as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

To read Duckworth's opening statement, Click Here.

To read Gould's opening statement, Click Here.