Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s First District released the following statement on the passage of H.R. 2216, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2014. Titus voted in favor of this Act. Overall, this bill provides $73.2 billion in discretionary spending for FY 2014, $1.4 billion above last year’s enacted level and $1.37 billion below the Administration’s request. The legislation also includes $55.6 billion in fiscal year 2015 advance appropriations for VA medical services, an idea supported by Congresswoman Titus in the 111th Congress, to provide stability and predictability for the VA and veterans utilizing the VA health system.

“As a Member of the Committee on Veterans Affairs, and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, I was pleased to support a Democratic amendment to double the number of additional claims processors from 94 to 188, but was disappointed our Republican colleagues did not join us in this effort. Adding these additional processors would have been even better news for Southern Nevada’s veterans who have to wait more than 500 days to receive the benefits they’ve earned.”