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Washington
–
U.S.
Senator
Tim
Scott
(R-SC)
released
the
following
statement
after
voting
for
the
FY2017
Military
Construction
and
Veterans
Affairs
Appropriations
Bill which
provides
a
total
of
$190
billion
in
funding,
$159
million
over
the
President’s
budget
request.
In
addition
to
discretionary
funding,
the
bill
provides
$102.5
billion
in
mandatory
compensation
and
pension
funding
for
the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
(VA).
The
bill
also
provides
$66.4
billion
in
fiscal
year
2018
advance
funding
for
veterans
health
care
and
$103.9
billion
for
fiscal
year
2018
advance
funding
for
the
VA’s
compensation
and
pensions
mandatory
accounts.
“I
was
proud
to
support
the
Military
Construction
and
Veterans
Affairs
Appropriations
Bill because
it
ensures
that
the
services
and
care
that
our
veterans
earned
through
their
service
to
our
nation
is
delivered
to
them.
Our
nation’s
active
military,
veterans
and
their
families
all
around
the
world
and
in
South
Carolina
must
be
able
to
know
that
the
federal
government
will
keep
its
promises,”
said
Senator
Scott.
“With
nearly
400,000
veterans
in
South
Carolina, I know
how
important
these
resources
are
to
addressing
the
changing
veteran
population,
which
now
spans
generations
of
brave
men
and
women.
In
addition
to
funding
services,
this
bill
has
a
number
of
important
reforms
and
updates,
including
increases
for
and
oversight
of
the
VA
to
address
the
VA
claims
backlog,
continuing
to
modernize
the
VA
electronic
health
record
and
adding
staff
to
root
out
fraud,
waste
and
abuse.”
The
VA
appropriations
bill
also
included
$1.1
billion
in
emergency
funding
for
the
fight
against
Zika.
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