Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2008

Details
Under the bill, Veterans Affairs receives $37.1 billion with nearly $30 billion to improve access to and quality of medical services for all veterans. In addition, funding is included for new programs which address traumatic brain injury diagnosis and treatment and chiropractic care. Improved housing and extended benefits to spouses and children, as well as refurbishment of old and construction of new treatment facilities are also funded.

A new initiative is undertaken to provide mental health treatment, as well as new centers to treat injuries to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, including traumatic brain injury. Veteran benefits continue to be increased and the opportunity to identify and apply for those benefits is aided by spending for outreach programs to veterans and their families.



House
The measure, sponsored by Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Texas), passed a vote of 409-2 on June 15, 2007. The two representatives that opposed the bill were John Campbell (R-Calif.) and Tom Feeney (R-Fla.).



Senate
Following the August recess, the Senate passed the act in a vote of 92 - 1, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) being the only "Nay" vote.



Before passing the bill, the Senate amended it to to prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from rounding down to the next lower dollar amount any benefit payments for disability, dependency and indemnity compensation for veterans.

The Senate also agreed to an amendment by Senator Coleman (R-Minn.) to add an additional $100 million to beef up security at the national political conventions. The amendment was agreed to 76 to 15.

Other Senate amendments would transfer funds to improve training for VA psychologists, require a report on the quality of mental health services to veteran's and a report on access to medical services provided by the VA to veterans who live in remote rural areas. Additionally, amendments allowed for non-federal land in Aurora Colorado to be used to construct a VA medical facility there, up to $12 million for a study of South Texas veterans' inpatient and specialty outpatient health care needs in South Texas as well as a report on the reconstruction of the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in New Orleans.

The VA was also directed to reconsider contracting out any job that could be performed by ten or fewer Federal employees. Contractors bidding for a job in excess of $5 million would have to certify their status regarding any Federal tax liabilities.

House
The House and Senate did not take up the bill again until May 2008. On May 15, 2008, the House began to vote on the amendments added by the Senate, while adding its own amendments to be sent back to the Senate.

The House rejected the first set of amendments by a vote of 149-141. 



The House later considered the bill with an amendment that provided more higher education funding for veterans and increased the length of unemployment benefits.





The House had its final vote on the bill on June 19, 2008.



Senate
The Senate took a preliminary vote on the bill on May 22, 2008, to agree to a motion about a House amendment related to higher education funding for veterans and increased unemployment benefits.



The Senate then rejected an amendment that included a suggested timeline for withdrawal from Iraq.



The Senate then voted to concur with the House war spending provisions without including an Iraq withdrawal timeline.



Before voting on final passage, the Senate voted to waive the Budget Act with respect to the bill's funding.



The Senate had its final vote on the bill on June 26, 2008.



External resources

 * TheWeekInCongress