VSOs/MSOs Send Letter to Congressional Appropriations Leaders Supporting FY2019 DOD VRP Funding Request
Legislative Update
March 7, 2018
On March 7, NAEVR member organization Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) submitted a letter to the Chairs and Ranking Members of each the House and Senate Appropriations Committee which requests that Congress fund the Department of Defenses (DOD) Vision Research Program (VRP) in Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 at a level of $20 million.
The letterwhich supports NAEVRs legislative requestwas signed by nine other Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) and Military Service Organizations (MSOs), in addition to BVA, including: Paralyzed Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Military Order of the Purple Heart USA, Inc., Disabled American Veterans, Jewish War Veterans of the USA, Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America, the Veterans Health Council, Vietnam Veterans of America, and the Military Officers Association of America.
The VRP was funded at $15 million in FY2018 and FY2017 and $10 million in each of fiscal years 2013-2016. Since it was created in FY2009 by Congress through NAEVR advocacy, the VRP has awarded $66.5 million in awards to 77 researchers, and the VRP is currently finalizing the remaining awards from the FY2017 funding cycle.