VA's budget tech-heavy for 2010

It's nice to know that these tough economic times are not affecting essential IT projects at federal agencies, at least not at the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Senate has approved $3.3 billion for information technology at the VA in fiscal 2010. That's up a whopping 25 percent from the $2.5 billion allocated in fiscal 2009.

Most of the money will go toward existing programs. The bill puts a few brakes on the money, stipulating that funds will not be available until a comprehensive review of programs has been conducted and the chief information officer or the VA secretary has submitted a certified letter to Congress.

That's exactly what VA CIO Roger Baker has been doing. You may remember that he put a temporary halt to 45 projects, and deep-sixed 15 of them.

Kudos to progress and to Congress recognizing that an organization as essential as the VA needs the money to put IT to work for the countless number of veterans who deserve the myriad benefits available to them.

For more on the VA's 2010 budget:
- see this nextgov.com article

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