Close Menu

CVA on VA’s Supposed Funding Shortfall: Cynical Ploy to Undermine Choice Card

By Concerned Veterans for America

Congress Should Not Allow VA to Raid Veteran Choice Card Funds

Arlington, Va. – In response to yesterday’s New York Times article that highlights the VA’s claims that it is facing a $3 billion budget shortfall and must shift funds from the Veteran Choice Card to pay for it, Concerned Veterans for America CEO Pete Hegseth issued the following statement:

“In a move that should surprise nobody, the VA is yet again claiming that only one thing can solve their problems: more money. They make this myopic claim even though the VA’s budget has increased over 65 percent since 2009, the VA has received nearly $21 billion in additional funding since the VA wait list scandal began, and the VHA routinely carries over hundreds of millions of dollars in unspent funds from one fiscal year to next. It is clear that VA’s latest ‘Chicken Little’ claim about funding shortfalls is another attempt to manufacture a reason to raid the Veteran Choice Card fund, and ultimately undermine veteran health care choice. Accordingly, Congress should continue to resist the pressure from the VA to allow the Department to use Veteran Choice Card funds for purposes other than giving veterans timely health care choices in the private sector.”  

For media inquiries, contact Emily Laird at elaird@cv4a.org or 571.302.0973.

###

Concerned Veterans for America is a non-partisan, non-profit, 501(c)(4) organization that advocates for policies that will preserve the freedom and prosperity we and our families so proudly fought and sacrificed to defend.