VA: Quick Action Needed on Spending Bill

The Department of Veterans Affairs is urging Congress to expedite passage of its 2016 spending bill. Failure to do so will leave VA unable to meet the increased demand for services, Deputy Secretary Sloan D. Gibson said in letters to the chairmen of the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs committees. Specifically, Gibson said, VA needs Congress to authorize a transfer of up to $3 billion in funds intended for its Choice Program to meet community-health demands. The Choice Program was established in 2014 to enable veterans to seek care from private providers when VA care is unavailable. The program is not absorbing veterans fast enough to keep pace with increasing demand, Gibson told lawmakers. If Congress balks, Gibson said, VA would have to defer remaining community-care authorizations until Oct. 1, 2015, when fiscal year 2016 begins. Funding shortfalls also could force VA to “shut down hospital operations” this August, Gibson said.