VA Research "Dear Colleague"
Nets 31 Senators
June 27, 2003 - A "Dear Colleague" letter
initiated by Senators Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Bob Graham
(D-Fla.), chairman and ranking member of the Senate Veterans
Affairs Committee, to Senators Kit Bond (R-Mo.) and Barbara
Mikulski (D-Md.), chairman and ranking member of the Senate
VA-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee, calling for a "significant
increase" in FY 2004 funding for the VA research program
garnered signatures from 31 Senators, including 8 Republicans.
FY 2003 funding for the VA research program is $397.4 million,
and the Administration's FY 2004 budget request proposed $408
million, an increase of $10.6 million (2.7 percent), a level
the letter says "does not even keep pace with research
inflation and will force VA to cut numerous projects to meet
rising costs."
The following Senators signed the letter: Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.),
Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Jim Bunning (R-Ky.), Maria Cantwell
(D-Wash.), Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), Kent Conrad (D-N.D.),
Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Russ Feingold
(D-Wisc.), Bob Graham (D-Fla.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), James
Jeffords (I-Vt.), Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.),
John Kerry (D-Mass.), Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.),
Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.), Zell Miller
(D-Ga.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Patty Murray (D-Wash.),
Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), John Rockefeller
(D-W.Va.), Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), Paul Sarbanes (D-Md.), Gordon
Smith (R-Ore.), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), Arlen Specter (R-Pa.),
and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
Information:
Jonathan Fishburn, Director, Research, Education and Veterans' Legislative Affairs
AAMC Government Relations
jfishburn@aamc.org
(202) 828-0525
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