Tom Rooney Insists Bill Will Help Speed Up VA Claims Process

U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., serves on the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee and praised the recent passage of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill which passed 421-4.

In a time of tight budgets, taking care of our nations veterans has to remain our top priority, Rooney, himself a veteran, said on Wednesday. If we dont keep our promises to those who wore the uniform, what would that say about who we are as a country, and how could we expect future generations of Americans to serve?

Rooney pointed to the bill, noting it increased VA funding by $2.1 billion from last year and incorporated funds to use new technologies to speed up the claims process.

The most pressing issue facing the VA and the issue most important to the tens of thousands of veterans in my district is the backlog of disability claims, which is on track to reach 1 million, Rooney said. This is simply unacceptable, and our veterans deserve better. I have urged President Obama and VA Secretary Shinseki to take immediate action to eliminate the backlog, and our bill ensures they have the resources to do just that, while implementing new reporting requirements so we can hold them accountable for getting results.