44.064/3:58p [COMMITTEE PRINT] REPORT TO THE COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET FROM THE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS Senate. 96th Congress and session SUBMITTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 301 OF THE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS RAY ROBERTS, Texas, Chairman DAVID E. SATTERFIELD III, Virginia G. V. (SONNY) MONTGOMERY, GEORGE E. DANIELSON, California W. G. (BILL) HEFNER, North Carolina DOUGLAS APPLEGATE, Ohio WILLIAM HILL BONER, Tennessee PHIL GRAMM, Texas RICHARD C. SHELBY, Alabama THOMAS A. DASCHLE, South Dakota CLAUDE (BUDDY) LEACH, Louisiana JOHN PAUL HAMMERSCHMIDT, MARGARET M. HECKLER, Massachusetts JAMES ABDNOR, South Dakota A. M. WILLIS, Jr., Staff Director MACK G. FLEMING, Chief Counsel (II) CONTENTS Observations on the fiscal year 1980 and fiscal year 1981 budgets. Veterans' Administration programs by functional distribution. President's proposed legislative program.. I. President's budget requests for existing programs which require au- thorizing legislation prior to the enactment of appropriations for II. President's budget requests for new and expanded programs which would require authorizing legislation for fiscal year 1981. III. President's budget requests for savings through changes in existing laws which mandate spending in fiscal year 1981 without further action by Congress; other legislative savings proposals--- IV. Legislative initiatives of Congress for fiscal years 1981, 1982 and V. President's budget requests for existing programs which do not re- Medical and prosthetic research. Assistance for Health Manpower Training Institutions. American Battle Monuments Commission staffing.. VI. President's budget and congressional proposals for multi-year budget VII. President's budget and congressional proposals for credit budget REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS ON Budget MATTERS UNDER ITS JURISDICTION The Committee on Veterans' Affairs is submitting this report on estimates of budget matters under its jurisdiction pursuant to section 301(c) of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. This report is based on the best information that is now available to the Committee. It is hoped that the report will be helpful to the Committee on the Budget in preparing its budget targets for the first concurrent resolution. OBSERVATIONS ON THE FISCAL YEAR 1980 AND FISCAL YEAR 1981 BUDGETS The 1981 President's Budget for the Veterans' Administration provides for benefits and services to the country's 30.1 million veterans, the 57.8 million members of their families and the 3.6 million survivors of deceased veterans. For the period October 1, 1980 through September 30, 1981, a record high budget authority of $22.7 billion is requested. It consists of appropriations of $21,268,570,000 for existing legislation and $761,896,000 for proposed legislation, and an estimate of $653,575,000 under permanent authorizations. Budget outlays for 1981 are estimated at $21.7 billion. The requested budget authority is an increase of $1.5 billion over 1980, caused primarily by anticipated rate increases for compensation, pension and educational benefits, and increases in the Medical Care appropriation and the level of construction funding. Employment for 1981 will decrease from the level of the previous year. The employment levels for 1979, 1980 and 1981 are as follows: Veterans' Administration average employment for 1981 is expected to decline 309. There is an increase of 111 average employment in the several offices which will support the implementation of an expanded construction program, and a decline of 478 average employment in the General Operating Expenses appropriation due primarily to savings from the automated Target system. In the ten years since 1971, Veterans' Administration budget authority will have increased $12.5 billion, or 122 percent. For the same period, average employment will have increased by 56,079, of which 53,027 will be in the Department of Medicine and Surgery. |