New fiscal year begins with no new VA budget

1) New fiscal year begins with no new VA budget

Congress failed to pass a Veterans Affairs Department Budget on time for the 20th time in the past 23 years. A legislative appropriations bill was passed Wednesday and sent to the White House. It included a continuing resolution that keeps VA and other federal agencies running through Oct. 31 by providing temporary funding. IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff expressed concern to the Army Times and in a statement release by IAVA stating that delays like this hurt veterans because hospitals and clinics — unsure of how long temporary funding might last — often fall back on rationing care. The budget that has yet to pass does contain a new provision that aims to avoid disruptions like this in the future by preventing any disruption in veterans funding if Congress fails to pass a budget. Unfortunately, it has no impact on the presently stalled budget.