The near-certainty of a federal government shutdown looms directly ahead. The last such nationwide closure occurred in 1995 and 1996, when Congress could not agree on a proper funding level for the federal government. The government closed for more than three weeks between November 1995 and January 1996, until the parties came to a satisfactory agreement. That shutdown reportedly cost over $1.3 billion ($2 billion in 2013 dollars) in unnecessary federal spending to restore operations and reimburse salaries and expenses. Within VA, while the essential health care system remained open for wounded, injured and ill veterans, virtually all VA benefits operations were suspended, and tens of thousands of pending claims from veterans went unprocessed.The fight is over government spending levels and how the money should be spent as a non-negotiable condition of funding government operations beyond September 30, 2013. No known negotiations between Congress and the Administration are taking place to reach compromise, and the September 30th deadline looms.
If the government closes, only "essential" operations will be permitted until the stalemate is resolved. Essential programs include VA health care and various benefits payments, but, once again, veterans pending claims will cease to be processed or awarded until after the budget stalemate is resolved.
Please use the prepared letter, or prepare your own version, and write to your Representative and Senators to urge them to come together and resolve the budget of the federal government, and not allow it to shut down. Wounded, injured and Ill veterans are not being well served when their government can't do its job because of an unrelated budget and political stalemate.
Thank you for participating in DAV's Commander's Action Network, and for your grassroots advocacy for wounded, injured and ill veterans.
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