	Introduction

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides a range of benefits and services to veterans who meet certain eligibility criteria. These benefits and services include, among other things, hospital and medical care, disability compensation and pensions, education, vocational rehabilitation and employment services, assistance to homeless veterans, home loan guarantees, administration of life insurance as well as traumatic injury protection insurance for servicemembers, and death benefits that cover burial expenses. This report provides a preliminary analysis of the President's budget request for FY2012 for the programs administered by the VA. It should be noted that this not an exhaustive discussion of VA's budget request for FY2012. The FY2012 budget request for the VA is for approximately $132.1 billion in budget authority. In total the FY2012 budget request for VHA is $54.4 billion including medical care collections (see Table 1 ). Additionally, the Administration is proposing to set up a $953 million contingency fund that would provide additional funds up to $953 million to become available for obligation if the Administration determines that additional funds are required due to changes in economic conditions in 2012. 111-81 ), the President's budget is requesting $52.4 billion in advance appropriations for the three medical care appropriations (medical services, medical support and compliance, and medical facilities) for FY2013.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides a range of benefits and services to veterans who meet certain eligibility criteria. These benefits and services include hospital and medical care, disability compensation and pensions, education, vocational rehabilitation and employment services, assistance to homeless veterans, home loan guarantees, administration of life insurance as well as traumatic injury protection insurance for servicemembers, and death benefits that cover burial expenses.
This report provides a preliminary analysis of the President's budget request for FY2012 for the programs administered by the VA. For FY2012, the Administration is requesting approximately $132.1 billion for the VA. This amount includes approximately $62 billion in discretionary funds and approximately $70 billion in mandatory funding.
The FY2012 budget request for VA medical care programs is $51.3 billion, an increase of approximately $240 million over the FY2012 advance appropriations request of $50.6 billion that was included in the FY2011 budget request. The FY2013 request of advance appropriations is $52.5 billion, an increase of approximately $1.7 billion over the FY2012 budget request. The President's budget is proposing an establishment of a contingency fund of $953 million for VA medical care programs in FY2012. These contingency funds would become available for obligation if the Administration determines that additional costs would be incurred due to changes in economic conditions.
This report is not an exhaustive discussion of VA's budget request for FY2012. A full CRS report on FY2012 VA budget and appropriations issues is planned after initial congressional consideration of appropriations legislation.