mr. speaker , i rise today in support of the motion to instruct conferees on h.r. 2361 , department of interior , environment and related agencies appropriations act for fiscal year 2006 . 
this bill will provide the department of veterans affairs with supplemental funding of approximately $ 1.5 billion for fiscal year 2005 . 
several weeks ago , the house of representatives unanimously passed h.r. 3130 which provided $ 975 million in health care funding for the fiscal year . 
we did that in response to revelations at the time to a line of questioning that i had with dr . 
perlin of vha at a full committee hearing on health care modeling and forecasting . 
we learned that since the spring of this year va hospitals and clinics were shifting significant amounts of funds into medical services from maintenance and capital equipment accounts . 
this shifting was driven by underestimates of long-term care requirements and increased use of va facilities by returning operations enduring freedom and operation iraqi freedom veterans to also include a surge of veterans in categories 1 through 6 and category 7 for health care . 
i directed secretary nicholson to tell us what additional funds he needed for 2005 . 
i also then immediately informed the speaker of the house and the majority leader of this issue . 
the secretary returned from meetings with his staff on june 30 , bringing to us a number of $ 975 million . 
this house acted the very same day in which the secretary made his request through the president of the united states approving to the penny the va 's request . 
yet the number was not even dry on the paper when , in fact , days later we were then informed that number was really $ 1.275 billion , and they needed an additional $ 300 million . 
the $ 300 million is for a carryover account which we in congress permit the va to utilize . 
so you will hear this number . 
what is really important is the $ 975 million number ; and as a matter of fact , just last week the va said they hold to the number . 
the additional $ 300 million is for the carryover account . 
the republican senate leadership offered a number of $ 1.5 billion . 
now the challenge we have is they passed a number on the senate interior appropriations bill of emergency supplemental . 
the house passed a $ 975 million number that was paid for out of the 2005 budget . 
as members go to the interior conference , we have a challenge . 
we have got moneys which were paid for , the senate asks for emergency . 
now i suppose we are asking for an instruction that is saying make it an emergency supplemental . 
so what we are doing is rolling one on top of another . 
we have $ 975 million which was paid for out of the 2005 budget . 
now we are going to vote for an instruction to the conferees on $ 1.5 billion on emergency supplemental . 
so these are issues that conferees are going to have to work out at conference . 
but when we look at vha 's forecasting performance which has been the focus at some of our animated hearings in the house , 3 over the last several weeks , in april they provide notice to the committee on appropriations that they are going to reprogram $ 600 million . 
then in the latter part of june when we hold our hearing , they testify they are short $ 975 million , but they have `` work-around solutions. '' then a few days later while we are on our july break , we learn that the number was short $ 300 million . 
they are going to spend down the $ 975 , and the $ 300 million is the carryover account . 
we either take care of that in 2005 , or we have to include it in the 2006 budget amendment . 
if members watch this , we go from $ 600 million to $ 975 million to $ 1.275 billion . 
what is it going to be in august ? 
i think that is what the gentleman from wisconsin ( mr. obey ) xz4003000 and the gentleman from new york ( mr. walsh ) xz4004200 are indicating . 
so that is why i am going to support the motion to instruct , because there is a loss of confidence here in the house with regard to the number that has been given to us . 
patience with the vha bureaucracy has run out . 
