PRINTER'S NO. 1964
No. 207 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY MICHLOVIC, SEMMEL, LUCYK, WALKO, LaGROTTA, MYERS,
PETRONE, LEVDANSKY, SURRA, DeLUCA, GEORGE, TANGRETTI, McCALL,
JAMES, MANDERINO, DALEY, BEBKO-JONES, TIGUE, ROONEY, JOSEPHS,
WOJNAROSKI, HALUSKA, GRUCELA, SAMUELSON, HANNA, PISTELLA AND
DeWEESE, JUNE 9, 1999
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS, JUNE 9, 1999
A RESOLUTION
1 Memorializing the Congress of the United States to increase the
2 Veterans Affairs medical care budget for fiscal year 2000 to
3 $20.3 billion.
4 WHEREAS, The Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals were established
5 to provide quality health care to those who served in defense of
6 this nation; and
7 WHEREAS, We appreciate the service of American veterans in
8 defending our freedoms and protecting our security; and
9 WHEREAS, $20.3 billion is needed for VA health care in the
10 2000 Federal fiscal year; and
11 WHEREAS, The Congress of the United States has recently
12 approved a final budget resolution for fiscal year 2000 that
13 calls for a grossly inadequate increase for VA health care
14 funding; and
15 WHEREAS, The VA budget has been frozen for three years at
16 about $17 billion; and
1 WHEREAS, The VA budget has not accounted for inflation; and
2 WHEREAS, The VA budget is inadequate to fund new and costly
3 initiatives such as hepatitis C treatment; and
4 WHEREAS, The VA budget is inadequate to address increased
5 health care issues created by the possibility of chemical,
6 biological and other unconventional warfare; and
7 WHEREAS, Unless an appropriation of at least $20.3 billion is
8 authorized for fiscal year 2000, quality care for veterans
9 cannot be maintained; and
10 WHEREAS, The time is right to provide adequate funding for
11 veterans' health care; therefore be it
12 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
13 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania memorialize the Congress of the
14 United States to increase the Veterans Affairs medical care
15 budget for fiscal year 2000 to $20.3 billion.
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