...for as long as it takes
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The VA health care system will have to undergo "fairly draconian" cuts next year under the Administration's FY 2000 budget, VA regional administrators told the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health Wednesday.
Subcommittee Chairman Cliff Stearns (R-FL) called it "the most troubling VA budget I've seen in my tenure in Congress."
The Committee got a frank assessment of the impact of that budget from VA network directors, who VA Secretary Togo West two weeks earlier identified as the officials who would find $1.4 billion in "efficiencies" to balance this budget.
Mr. Thomas Trujillo, the recently retired director of a VA network spanning Arizona, New Mexico, and West Texas, told the Subcommittee "we have squeezed almost every efficiency we can ...and like the proverbial rubber band, we are ready to snap."
"It's simple arithmetic," Trujillo said, "Efficiencies of a billion dollars would cost us about 20,000 employees. No matter what you call it, we would have to have large Reductions in Force and close numerous facilities to live within this budget."
VA network directors from Ohio, Oregon, and New York echoed those views and also cited the need to consider such steps as furloughing employees and cutting services and programs under the Administration budget.
"We need to put to rest the fiction that the VA can keep doing more with less," Chairman Stearns stated. "We need to make it clear the VA cannot cut more than $1 billion from its budget without cutting service to veterans. In short, I'd like to challenge the Administration to resubmit this budget because, frankly, it's simply unacceptable!"
The budget also drew sharp criticism from the Director of the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs, Nick Bacon, who cited the lack of any new funding to support either the increasing cost of ongoing commitments or new programs promised under the budget.
"Where's the beef?" Bacon asked.
"No matter how you look at it, the Administration's Medical Care budget doesn't add up," Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA) concluded.
Rep. Lane Evans (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, stated that "I have grave concerns about the FY 2000 budget. The VA health care system was created for veterans and their special health care needs. VA is a special, and largely unrecognized, part of the nation's public health infrastructure. It should not be allowed to wither on the vine because veterans are no longer the 'flavor of the month'."
Representatives of national veterans organizations were also sharply critical. Veronica A'zera of AMVETS told the Committee "we join you in the battle to save Private Ryan's healthcare."
Appearing on the first panel with Mr. Trujillo were Dr. Thomas L. Garthwaite, Deputy Under Secretary for Health, Department of Veterans Affairs; and three other directors of Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISN), Dr. William (Ted) Galey of VISN 20, Mr. James Farsetta of VISN 3, and Ms. Laura Miller of VISN 10.
Testifying with Bacon on the second panel were Mr. Dennis Cullinan, Director, National Legislative Service, Veterans of Foreign Wars; Ms. Jacqueline Garrick, Deputy Director, National Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Commission, the American Legion; and Mr. Richard A. Wannemacher Jr., Associate National Legislative Director, Disabled American Veterans.
Joining Ms. A'zera on the final panel were Mr. Harley L. Thomas, Associate Legislative Director, Paralyzed Veterans of America; and Mr. George C. Duggins, National President, Vietnam Veterans of America.
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