3 US senators question plan to tap from PHL veterans’ compensation fund

At least three United States senators have questioned the US Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) proposal to take funds from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation  (FVEC) Fund to pay for cost overruns at a “mismanaged” construction project in Denver.   

In a letter to the VA, the three senators —  Mazie K. Hirono, Harry Reid and Dean Heller — said the proposal is “an affront to those Filipino veterans who gave their lives in service to our nation.”
    
In its plan for completion of the Denver Replacement Medical Center released June 5, the VA proposed to reprogram $35 million from the FVEC Fund to the project.

The US Congress created the FVEC Fund to recognize the dedicated service of the over 200,000 Filipinos who served alongside American soldiers during World War II.

“While the Senate was ultimately able to come up with a bill that provides additional flexibility to VA to transfer other monies, we remain concerned as to why the FVEC was proposed in the first place,” the three senators said in their letter addressed to VA Secretary Robert McDonald.           

They added that the VA’s June 5 plan “did not contain an adequate explanation for the $150 million in reprogramming requests.”

They implored VA “to provide a more detailed justification for all reprogramming proposals in the future.”

“We understand VA has the authority to reprogram the FVEC funds without the approval of Congress but ask that in the future, should such proposals be sent to Congress for consideration, that detailed justification is provided,” the three senators said.

“In addition, we view it as essential that any reprogramming request of FVEC funds include a plan for VA to replenish those funds,” they added. —KBK, GMA News

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