Ron Kind

WASHINGTON, DC –U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) yesterday voted to provide funding for health care benefits, military housing, and mission critical facilities to troops and veterans through H.R. 5822, the FY 2011 Military Construction/VA Appropriations bill.

“I am committed to supporting our men and women that work so hard to defend this country,” said Rep. Kind. “This bill looks out for their health and well-being, making sure they have access to safe facilities and quality health care both overseas and domestically. Just as our military pledges to leave no troop behind on the battlefield, this bill helps us keep our commitment to leaving no veteran behind when they return home.”

The bill provides funding for quality medical care for over 6 million veterans in 2011, including more than 439,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. It also includes an unprecedented increase to support the processing of more than 1 million VA disability claims – including newly eligible Agent Orange disabilities, strengthens the VA workforce to tackle more claims, and provides new family caregiver benefits to disabled veterans.

In addition, the bill helps modernize military housing, supports additional military construction requirements to support operations and troop increases in Afghanistan, and funds environmental cleanups on closed military bases.

“It is critical that we support these services to make sure our troops are successful in their mission, return home quickly, and are taken care of here in America. The bill helps us keep this promise and does so in a way that is fiscally responsible – by cutting programs that aren’t working and using those funds to provide resources to the programs that are.”

The bill is strongly supported by veterans’ service organizations. The VFW, Disabled American Veterans, AMVETS, and Paralyzed Veterans of America praise the bill.