Senate Panel Gives VA $3.3 Bil For IT
The Veterans Affairs Department would get $3.3 billion for IT projects to develop electronic health care records, paperless claims systems, and seamless integration of medical and service records with the Department of Defense under the agency's FY 2010 spending bill that passed a key Senate Appropriations subcommittee Monday. Subcommittee passage clears the way for the bill to be considered by the full panel later this week. The broader $133.9 billion bill, which also covers military construction, includes more than $76.7 billion in discretionary funding -- $439 million over President Obama's budget request in discretionary funding. Under the measure, military construction would get $23.2 billion and $53 billion in discretionary funding would go to the VA. A companion bill that passed the House Appropriations Committee last month asks for the same amount for high-tech investments, mirroring Obama's request. "We have done our best to address both the needs of the military and our veterans in this legislation. I remain committed to keeping our promises to our veterans and honoring them by ensuring they receive the care they deserve and require," said Sen. Tim Johnson, D, S.D., who chairs the Senate Appropriations Military Construction, Veterans Affairs Subcommittee.
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