Steve Buyer: “this budget reflects our military values to ensure that health care for our service disabled, special needs and indigent…”

“this budget reflects our military values to ensure that health care for our service disabled, special needs and indigent veterans remain the highest priority of our Nation. With an increase of nearly $1 billion in discretionary spending, this budget will fund care for our veterans, including those now serving from service in the war on terror. Mr. Speaker, you asked us to examine the system that serves America's veterans. We are doing so. Yet, it is not timely to carry out the mandatory savings that you originally had asked. There will be no increase in copays and no enrollment fees at this time. We must work with Secretary Nicholson and Senator Craig to develop a clear picture and craft a good legislative product to eliminate inefficiencies, waste and fraud in the VA for discretionary savings. And we will produce that product for you. I am hopeful that the veterans service organizations will take part in this endeavor. After all, it was the VFW Commander in Chief John Furgess who told Congress last month that the VA must ``start acting like a business and create a corporate culture of accountability that rewards success and penalizes failure.'' With $3 billion in uncollected debt in the VA, he is right.…”