House Veterans� Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA) released the following statement on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that was approved by Congress and sent to President Obama for his signature:
�Congressional approval of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is the first major step in rebuilding our country�s economy. The bill, H.R. 1, provides $1.4 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs, including $1 billion for maintenance at VA medical facilities, $150 million for State grants for the construction of veterans� extended care facilities, and $50 million for veteran cemetery repairs.
�This legislative compromise will help stabilize the economy, result in job creation, and provide economic development in local communities throughout our country, while also honoring our veterans.
�The New Direction Congress approved unprecedented investments in our infrastructure and this Nation�s veterans. I am disappointed that we could not provide more of an investment in this bill and I will continue to work to draw attention to the growing and unmet needs of our veterans. Despite a successful 110th Congress, where $16.3 billion was added to the budget baseline and the budget was delivered on-time, I believe we must do more to provide adequate and timely funding to the VA.�