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                                                        PRINTER'S NO. 19

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE RESOLUTION

No. 10 Session of 2007


        INTRODUCED BY CASORIO, COHEN, D. EVANS, BAKER, BARRAR, BEYER,
           BISHOP, BOYD, BUXTON, CALTAGIRONE, CREIGHTON, DALEY,
           DePASQUALE, GALLOWAY, GEORGE, GOODMAN, HUTCHINSON, KING,
           KOTIK, MANN, MARKOSEK, MUNDY, MUSTIO, M. O'BRIEN, PALLONE,
           PARKER, PAYNE, PETRONE, RAMALEY, READSHAW, SONNEY, STABACK,
           SWANGER, VULAKOVICH, WALKO, WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD, YUDICHAK,
           LONGIETTI, BENNINGHOFF, CAPPELLI, GRUCELA, JOSEPHS, KULA,
           RAPP, FRANKEL, MELIO, DALLY, FREEMAN, BELFANTI, SCAVELLO,
           SOLOBAY, GIBBONS, WANSACZ, BASTIAN, DeLUCA, GINGRICH, GERGELY
           AND EVERETT, JANUARY 30, 2007

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
           PREPAREDNESS, JANUARY 30, 2007

                                  A RESOLUTION

     1  Urging the Congress of the United States to increase funding for
     2     the medical needs of veterans who have served our country in
     3     Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

     4     WHEREAS, The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) faces a
     5  critical situation in funding, primarily for veterans' health
     6  care; and
     7     WHEREAS, Ever-increasing demands on the system by veterans
     8  returning from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi
     9  Freedom and inadequate resources provided after the start of a
    10  new fiscal year place enormous stress on the system and leave
    11  the VA struggling to provide the care that veterans have earned
    12  and deserve; and
    13     WHEREAS, New veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are
    14  at higher risk for psychiatric problems, including posttraumatic

     1  stress disorder, depression and anxiety, in addition to
     2  significant physical injuries, including brain injury; and
     3     WHEREAS, The VA health care appropriation for the 2006 fiscal
     4  year of $22.5 billion proved to be inadequate; and
     5     WHEREAS, An additional $1.2 billion in emergency funding has
     6  had to be appropriated as the number of personnel returning from
     7  Iraq and Afghanistan seeking medical treatment through the VA
     8  was severely underestimated; and
     9     WHEREAS, The Administration has proposed a VA health care
    10  budget totaling $31.4 billion for the 2007 fiscal year, an
    11  insufficient increase given the influx into the system of new
    12  veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan; and
    13     WHEREAS, The Independent Budget for fiscal year 2007, a
    14  comprehensive budget policy document coauthored by Paralyzed
    15  Veterans of America, AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans and
    16  Veterans of Foreign Wars, recommends funding of $32.4 billion
    17  for veterans' health care during the 2007 fiscal year; and
    18     WHEREAS, This funding request tracks the real needs of the VA
    19  in providing quality health care in a timely manner to all
    20  veterans enrolled in the system; therefore be it
    21     RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
    22  Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the Congress to increase the
    23  health care budget for the 2007 fiscal year to meet the medical
    24  needs of veterans who have served our country in Operation
    25  Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom; and be it further
    26     RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
    27  the President of the United States, to the presiding officers of
    28  each house of Congress and to each member of Congress from
    29  Pennsylvania.

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