Chet Edwards VA Appropriations Chairman
Published: 11-19-08
(Washington D.C.) - Congressman Chet Edwards Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs today released the following statement on VA mileage reimbursement rates for veterans increasing from 28.5 to 41.5 cents per mile. This action follows a mileage reimbursement rate increase from 11 to 28.5 cents in January 2008. Both increases were the result of historic VA funding increases passed by the Democratic led 110th Congress in 2007 and 2008.
“One of the untold stories of the 110th Congress was the historic $16.3 billion increase in funding for veterans health care and benefits. That was $9 billion more than what the President requested and a larger increase in two years than the previous 12 years combined in Congress. Our veterans earned and deserved every dime.
“This needed increase in travel reimbursement rates is one example of how millions of veterans will benefit from the work of this Congress. Before this year travel reimbursements were frozen at 11 cents per mile and had not increased since 1979 when gas was 95 cents a gallon. This might not seem like a lot of money to a lot of people but to rural veterans it could be the difference between getting health care and going without.”
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced that the latest travel reimbursement increase went into effect November 17th.
