As negotiations between the Senate and the House of Representatives over legislation to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) continue, Senator Bob Corker urged that lawmakers have the opportunity to review a complete Congressional Budget Office (CBO) score on any final conference VA bill before taking a vote.
“Our veterans deserve solutions to the systemic problems that plague the VA, and they also deserve a Congress that has the discipline to pay for legislation rather than drive our country deeper into debt,” said Senator Corker. “The way the Senate rushed the VA bill to the floor in June was a complete disgrace. Neither the House nor the Senate should take a vote on the conference legislation until there is a complete score from the Congressional Budget Office so members have the opportunity to review the impact the bill will have on future generations. I want to thank the conference committee for their work and continue to urge them to keep their assurances that they will find a way to improve the bill and ensure it is totally paid for during the same time the money is being spent.”
Earlier this month, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) revised its preliminary assessments of the Senate VA bill reporting that when fully implemented it would cost $38 billion each year.