Olympia Snowe: “Less than 3 months ago, Congress was informed that the Department of Veterans Affairs would not require emergency…”

“Less than 3 months ago, Congress was informed that the Department of Veterans Affairs would not require emergency appropriations for the current fiscal year. The Senate acted accordingly in supporting the existing appropriation. In the past week, we have been informed that the VA now faces a budget shortfall of approximately $1 billion. Many of my colleagues are today discussing how we got here, and where the fiscal projections went wrong. The failure to consider the needs of returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan in forecasting expenditures demonstrates a critical and inexcusable deficit in planning. Some suggest a new means of budgeting the VA. These are vital issues and they will undoubtedly be discussed as in the context of future appropriations. However, what is most critical today is addressing the immediate and pressing needs of our veterans. We simply must maintain our commitment to those who have given so much in their service to our country. Secretary Nicholson had told us that the current budget shortfall would be made up in two ways. The first would be to use approximately $600 million from maintenance and capital expenditure accounts, redirecting approximately half of such moneys to operating expenses. According to the Secretary, new construction would not be affected. Yet that leaves undone many pressing projects such as critical repairs and renovations. In many cases, these projects cannot be wisely deferred.…”