Quick Look: President Bush's FY 2009 Budget:  Department of Veterans Affairs -- Feb. 4 2008

The California Institute prepares a quick analysis of the President's budget request on the day it is released.  For the FY 2009 Budget, the budget was released the morning of February 4, 2008.  The following represents an examination of this portion of the budget from a California perspective.  For analysis of other components visit our 2009 Budget page.

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Under President Bush's Budget, the Department of Veteran Affairs receives FY 2009 discretionary budget authority (with collections) of $47.2 billion, representing an increase over FY08 funding of $41.8 billion.

Medical Services

The vast majority of VA funding is devoted to veteran health care expenses. For 2009, the budget requests total resources for the VA Medical Services appropriation of $36.5 billion. This includes $34.0 billion in appropriated budget authority and $2.5 billion to be collected in the Medical Care Collections Fund.

Medical Administration

In the FY 2009 request, the Medical Administration appropriation is being consolidated into the Medical Services appropriation. For 2008, the budget requested total resources for the VA Medical Administration appropriation of $3.4 billion.

Medical Facilities

For 2009, the budget requests total resources for the VA Medical Facilities appropriation of $4.7 billion, compared to the FY08 Budget request of $3.6 billion. Medical Facilities provides for the operations and maintenance of the capital infrastructure required to provide health care to the Nation's veterans.

Construction Major Projects

The Budget documents state: the "Construction major projects" appropriations fund construction projects costing more than $10 million, support cemetery expansions in the vicinity of San Juan, PR; southeastern MA; and New York, NY; and fund facility improvements, realignments, and seismic corrections as related to the new hospitals at Denver, CO; and Orlando, FL; and improvements and other projects at San Juan, PR; Lee County, FL; St. Louis, MO; Bay Pines, FL; Tampa, FL; and Palo Alto, CA.

 

 

 

The California Institute prepares a quick analysis of the President's budget request on the day it is released.  The FY 2009 Budget was released the morning of February 4, 2008.  The following represents an examination of this portion of the budget from a California perspective.  For analysis of other components visit our 2009 Budget page.

Official Source Material for FY 2009 Budget -- For your reference, the following are links to mirrored copies of OMB 2009 Budget materials (which are also available from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget via direct download)

 

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