EFFORTS UNDERWAY TO PROVIDE NEEDED FUNDS

Dear Friend:

We continue to hear regular news reports about members of the military or veterans who are not receiving the care they need after having been in combat. Those of us who care deeply about the well being of our military and veterans cannot help but be distressed to hear these reports.

I recently joined in a bipartisan effort to ensure that the Veterans Benefits Administration has the funding it needs to process veterans claim forms. Claims for compensation and pension benefits continue to increase. Notably, the rate of claims pending for more than 180 days is now nearly 27 percent. This delay in processing can cause hardship to veterans and their families, and we must make greater efforts to reduce the processing time.

I joined other Senators in writing to the Senate Budget Committee, and asking that funding be provided to ensure that the Veterans Benefits Administration can deal with the claims backlog. We also ask that a commitment be made to increase the training and technology to further address the claims backlog and improve the timeliness, accuracy and consistency that our veterans deserve. It is the least that we can do for these brave heroes.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

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