For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 26, 2001
President Signs VA/HUD Appropriations Bill
Statement by the President
Today I have signed into law H.R. 2620, the "Departments of
Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent
Agencies Appropriations Act, 2002."
I appreciate the bipartisan effort that has gone into producing
this Act. The Act abides by the agreed upon aggregate
funding level for Fiscal Year 2002 of $686 billion and supports several
of my Administration's key initiatives with:
-- $955 million for the Veterans Affairs Duty to Assist
initiative
to improve performance in claims processing and assist veterans
with their claims;
-- $160 million for the National Science Foundation
Math and Science
Partnerships initiative, which provides funds for States to join
with institutions of higher education in strengthening math and
science education in grades K-12; and
-- $50 million for the Housing and Urban Development
Down Payment
Assistance initiative that assists low-income families with the
down payment on their first home.
Several additional initiatives I have proposed were worthy of
funding but are not part of this bill:- the Community
Technology Centers and Improving Access programs in HUD, the Silver
Scholarships and Veterans Mission for Youth programs under the
Corporation for National and Community Service, and the VA/DOD Medical
Care Choice initiative.
The Silver Scholarship Program would have provided Silver
Scholarships to 10,000 older Americans who volunteer 500 hours of
service tutoring and mentoring students in after-school
programs. Each $1,000 scholarship could be deposited in an
education savings account for use by seniors' children, grandchildren,
or another child. The Veterans Mission for Youth program
would have provided matching grants to community organizations that
connect veterans and retired military personnel with America's youth
through mentoring, tutoring, after-school, and other programs.
The VA/DoD Medical Care Choice initiative would ensure that all
military retirees annually choose either the Department of Defense or
the Department of Veterans Affairs as their health care
provider. This would enhance quality and continuity of care
and prevent duplication of services and costs.
Several provisions in the Act purport to require congressional
approval before executive branch execution of aspects of the
bill. My Administration will interpret such provisions to
require notification only, since any other interpretation would
contradict the Supreme Court ruling in INS v. Chadha.
GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE,
November 26, 2001.
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