Washington, DC – Congressman Steven Palazzo (MS-4) released the following statement today following the full Committee markup of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill for FY 2017:
“Our men and women in uniform make great sacrifices to protect our country and our freedoms. In return we must keep our commitment to them by continuing to invest in those who have served and those who continue to serve.
“Today’s Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill is a great example of a solid federal investment in the well-being of our veterans. It begins to address healthcare shortages and management issues, and it provides much needed oversight to ensure taxpayer dollars are being used to improve services and programs that directly affect our veterans. We have also vastly increased oversight of the VA and eliminated bonuses for all senior executive VA employees.
“I’ve held veterans forums across the State of Mississippi to hear directly from veterans. But it is not just enough to listen to their concerns. We have to take action to address their needs in Congress. I’m proud to say that today’s appropriations bill is a strong step in the right direction to fix the countless problems at the VA.”
The 2017 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill increases VA funding by $13.4 billion. The bill specifically funds VA medical services at $52.5 billion, providing for approximately seven million patients to be treated in fiscal year 2017. It also increases Military Construction by $250 million above the President’s budget request in order to fully fund family housing, construction of hospitals and health facilities, and critical overseas investments.
