4-27-12

OMB Excludes VA from Sequestration

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced this week that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare programs are exempt from automatic budget cuts (sequestration) scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2013. The announcement came in response to Rep. Jeff Miller (Fla.), who requested OMB’s interpretation of the Budget Control Act of 2011.

Miller, who chairs the House VA Committee, introduced the “Protect VA Healthcare Act” (H.R. 3895) to ensure that VA healthcare programs are not impacted by the scheduled sequestration cuts. He is committed to advancing the legislation and said, “OMB did, however, leave the door open to other legal avenues to sequester VA, which is not acceptable.” 

Shipmates are urged to use the FRA Action Center to support the Chairman’s bill (H.R. 3895) and its Senate companion measure (S. 2128), sponsored by Senator Jon Tester (Mont.).

Click here to support the House bill.