Advance Funding Legislation for VA

Akaka signals intention to reintroduce advance funding legislation 01/30/09. U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, gathered six top national veterans' service organizations at a hearing to discuss their priorities for the new Congress. Committee members and the witnesses from the veterans' groups discussed a number of important issues facing America's veterans, from the backlog on benefits claims to timely implementation of the new GI Bill. The witnesses were unanimous in their support for legislation to fund veterans' health care one-year ahead of the regular appropriations process, as provided for in the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform Act of 2008, introduced by Chairman Akaka with bipartisan support in the previous Congress. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs