House Approves Filner Amendment to Support Paralympic Program for Injured Vets

Washington, D.C. – Bob Filner (D-CA), Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, announced that the House of Representatives approved a critical funding increase for a paralympic program for Veterans and members of the Armed Services. Hundreds of injured Veterans now actively participate in paralympic sports and training programs that enhance their rehabilitation and promote healing from the wounds of war.

Last year, Congress authorized $10 million to fund the Office of National Veterans’ Sports Programs and Special Events to oversee rehabilitative adaptive sports programs for severely injured service members and Veterans. The severely injured service members and Veterans tend to be traumatic brain injury Veterans, amputees, paraplegic, and quadriplegic Veterans. Today, the House voted to approve Chairman Filner’s amendment to provide full funding for the program in H.R. 3028, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act of 2010.

“When severely injured military began returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States Olympic Committee began offering Paralympic Military Sports Camps at its training facilities, including the USOC training facility in my district in Chula Vista, California,” said Filner. “I strongly believe that providing this dynamic program the needed funding to assist our injured service members and Veterans will enrich the quality of life of our severely injured service members and Veterans as they explore new limits.”

SOURCE: Press Release, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs