Paralyzed Veterans of America's (Paralyzed Veterans) National President Randy L. Pleva, Sr. today urged Congress to close an estimated $3 billion veterans healthcare gap in President Bush's recent FY 2009 budget.

According to The Independent Budget (IB)-a comprehensive budget and policy document co-authored by Paralyzed Veterans, AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans, and Veterans of Foreign Wars-the Administration's funding request falls short in the key areas of healthcare ($1.6 billion short), prosthetic research ($113 million short), veterans' benefits processing ($300 million short), and construction programs ($1 billion short).

"President Bush's 2009 budget is short by $3 billion for our veterans - and this means our seriously injured veterans will not get all the services they have earned and deserve. We urge Congress to close this gap by fully implementing our Independent Budget. It's good for veterans. It's good for America," Mr. Pleva stressed.

He also proposed that sufficient, timely and predictable funding is the best long-term solution to providing the necessary resources for quality veterans' healthcare and benefits delivery. "In the long term, provide sufficient, timely and predictable funding for veterans' healthcare and benefits. That means guaranteed ample funding to meet all the needs of every veteran, past, present and future," Mr. Pleva continued.

In wide-ranging testimony, Mr. Pleva also highlighted concerns about specialist staffing shortages in the Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system, the need to strengthen the GI Bill, and the good and the bad recommendations of the recent veterans commissions.

"Implement the good recommendations from the various commissions dealing with veterans benefits and services. For example, two good recommendations from the main commissions are a) the establishment of a single medical examination with a clear delineation of the responsibilities of the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs and b) the implementation of a unified medical record system for both departments," Mr. Pleva said.