NAVREF UPDATES – December 8, 2011

fy 2012 Funding for the VA Medical and Prosthetics Research Account Inches Forward

 

FY 2012 Funding for the VA Medical and Prosthetics Research Account Inches Forward

The Friends of VA Medical Care and Health Research (FOVA) have been hard at work educating legislators about the strengths and value of the VA research program, and the outlook for FY 2012 just took a very positive turn when the House approved $581 million for the FY 2012 Omnibus yesterday.  NAVREF newsletter readers will recall that in February, the President’s FY 2012 budget proposed a $72 million (12%) cut from FY 2011 funding levels, which comes out to $509 million.  With many thanks to Senator Patty Murray and the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee staff, the Senate previously approved restoration to $581 million.  The level approved by the House in June was only $531 million.  However, yesterday the House approved a motion (409-Yea; 13-Nay) introduced by Congressman Norm Dicks (D-WA) that instructed conferees to accept the higher Senate level of $581 million for the VA research account.  Although nothing is final until both the House and Senate pass the conference report on the Omnibus appropriations bill and it is signed by the President, the motion to instruct conferees and the overwhelming approval of the motion are good signs for the final outcome of $581 million for FY 2012.   

FY 2011 - $581 million

FY 2012 – President’s Budget request - $509 million

FY 2012 – Senate - $581 million

FY 2012 – House - $509 million plus an additional $22 million added through an amendment

FY 2012 –  House Omnibus - $581 million

For additional details of FY 2012 appropriations for VA and to track progress through the remainder of the cycle, go to http://thomas.loc.gov/home/approp/app12.html

Questions or comments about this Update may be directed to: Email: navref@navref.org | Phone: 301-656-5005 | Fax: 301-656-5008