The Mid-Atlantic Regional Group
Blinded Veterans Association
Legislative News
FOVA Announcement on Support for VA Research Update
Hello,
As you know, BVA is one of the many organizations that works to support increased funding for VA Research and thought you all should know about this, because it does show an increase now for VA research compared to the requested cuts that the OMB administration had proposed last January.
Dear Colleague:
On behalf of the Executive Committee of the Friends of VA Medical Care and Health Research (FOVA), thank you for your continued support for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical and Prosthetic Research Program. We write to provide an update on the fiscal year (FY) 2009 appropriations process as it affects the VA research program.
On Tuesday, June 24, 2008, the
House Committee on Appropriations approved FY 2009 funding for the VA research
program at $500 million. This restores the $38 million cut proposed in the
administration’s FY 2009 budget request and provides a net increase of $20
million over FY 2008 funding. While an increase of $20 million is welcome news,
it will not provide the level of growth that FOVA hopes to sustain for this
relatively small but vital program for sick and disabled veterans. To account
for biomedical research inflation and support new research initiatives, FOVA
recommends $555 million for VA research for FY 2009. VA needs new research
funding to be able to fully invest in projects related to the types of injuries
occurring in the ongoing wars in
Reports indicate the committee increased the Minor Construction account but did not provide a specific set-aside for research infrastructure improvements. In recent years, the Minor Construction Program has failed to provide the resources needed to maintain, upgrade, and replace VA’s aging research facilities.
As the Senate considers its appropriations bill in July, the FOVA Executive Committee urges all FOVA members to contact members of the Senate Appropriations Committee and encourage them to support FOVA’s recommendation of $555 million for VA research for FY 2009. In addition, FOVA encourages the Senate to match the House’s level of minor construction funding to ensure that necessary renovations are made to declining research facilities. FOVA also recommends the Committees include the following report language: To ensure that the Administration and Congress are well informed of VA’s funding needs for research infrastructure, the Department shall report to the Congress on the congressionally-mandated comprehensive review of its research facilities review at the completion of each site analysis. For contact information for members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, please visit the committee website.
Again, we appreciate the support and dedication of FOVA members to the VA research program. Please feel free to contact members of the FOVA Executive Committee with questions about the appropriations process or the status of the VA research program. FOVA’s FY 2009 budget recommendation submitted to Congress is attached for your reference.
Sincerely,
FOVA Executive Committee
John M. Bradley, III
Veterans Service Organizations Liaison
703-244-3652
Again, another example of BVA involvement in many aspects of VA funding, and we have been singled out because of the large amount of attention we brought to the entire issue of visually injured OIF and OEF war veterans, plus the degenerative eye diseases, and the needs for more vision research.
Tom Zampieri
Blinded Veterans Association
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